9/os:  if  5 


866  ,  Issued  April  15, 1907. 

U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE. 

OFFICE  OF  EXPERIMENT  STATIONS— BULLETIN  183. 

A.  C.  TRUE,  Director.  jS<. 


MECHANICAL  TESTS 


PUMPS  AND  PUMPING  PLANTS 

Used  for  Irrigation  and  Drainage  in 
Louisiana  in  1905  and  1906. 


W.  B.  GREGORY, 

Professor  of  Experimental  Engineering 
Tulane  University  of  Louisiana. 


WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE. 

1907. 


LIST  OF  PUBLICATIONS  OF  THE  OFFICE  OF   EXPERIMENT  STATIONS  ON 
IRRIGATION  AND  DRAINAGE. 

Note. — Publications  marked  with  an   asterisk    (*)    are  not  available  for  dis- 
tribution. 
*Bul.  3G.  Notes  on  Irrigation  in  Connecticut  and  New  Jersey.     By  C.  S.  Phelps 

and  E.  B.  Yoorlues.     Pp.  <;+. 
•Bui.  58.  Water  Rights  on  the  Missouri  River  and  its  Tributaries.     By  Elwood 
Mead.     Pp.  SO. 
Bui.  GO.  Abstract  of  Laws  for  Acquiring  Titles  to  Water  from  the  Missouri 
River  and  its  Tributaries,  with  the  Legal  Forms  in  Use.     Compiled 
by  Elwood  Mead.     Pp.  77. 
Bui.  70.  Water-right  Problems  of  Pear  River.     By  Clarence  T.  Johnston  and 

Joseph  A.  Breckons.     Pp.  40. 
"Bui.  73.  Irrigation  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  States.     By  J.  C.  Plrich.     Pp.  04. 
*Bul.  81.  The  Use  of  Water  in  Irrigation  in  Wyoming.    By  B.  C.  Buffum.    Pp.  .10. 
*Bul.  86.  The  Use  of  Water  in  Irrigation.     Report  of  investigations  made  in 

1899,  under   the   supervision   of   Elwood   Mead,    expert   in   charge, 
and  C.  T.  Johnston,  assistant.     Pp.  253. 

*Bul.  87.  Irrigation  in  New  Jersey.     By  Edward  P».  Voorhees.     Pp.  4<>. 
"Bui.  90.  Irrigation  in  Hawaii.     By  Walter  Maxwell.     Pp.  48. 
Bui.    92.  The   Reservoir    System    of   the   Cache    la    Poudre    Valley.     By    E.    S. 

Xettleton.     Pp.  48. 
Bui.    90.  Irrigation    Laws   of   the    Northwest   Territories    of    Canada    and    of 
Wyoming,  with  Discussions  by  J.  S.  Dennis,  Fred  Bond,  and  J.  M. 
Wilson.     Pp.  90. 
Bui.  100.  Report  of  Irrigation  Investigations  in  California,  under  the  direction 
of  Elwood  Mead,  assisted  by  William  E.  Smythe.  Marsden  Manson. 
J.    M.    Wilson.    Charles    I).    Marx.    Prank    Soule,    C.    E.    Grunsky. 
Edward  M.  Boggs.  and  James  D.  Schuyler.     Pp.  411. 
*Bul.  104.  The  Use  of  Water  in  Irrigation.     Report  of  investigations  made  in 

1900,  under  the  supervision  of  Elwood  Mead,  expert  in  charge,  and 
C.  T.  Johnston,  assistant.     Pp.  834.      (Separates  only.) 

*Bul.   103.   Irrigation  in  the  United  States.     Testimony  of  Elwood   Mead,   irri- 
gation expert  in  charge,  before  the  United  States  Industrial  Com 
mission,  June  11  and  12,  1901.     Pp.  47. 
*Bul.  108.  Irrigation  Practice  among  Emit  Growers  on  the  Pacific  Coast.     By 
E.  J.  Wickson.     Pp.  54. 
Bui.  113.  Irrigation  of  Rice  in  the  United  States.     By  Erank  Bond  and  George 

H.  Keeney.     Pp.  77. 
Bui.  118.  Irrigation  from  Big  Thompson  River.     By  John  E.  Field.     Pp.  73. 
♦But.  119.  Report  of  Irrigation   Investigations  for  1901.  under  the  direction  of 
Elwood  Mead,  chief.     Pp.  401.      (Separates  only.) 
Bui.   124.  Report  of  Irrigation   Investigations  in   Utah,  under  the  direction  of 
Elwood   Mead,   chief,   assisted   by   R.    P.   Toele.   A.   P.    Stover.   A.    P. 
Doremus,    J.    D.    Stannard.    Frank    Adams,    and    G.    L.    Swendsen. 
Pp.  386. 
Bui.  130.  Egyptian  Irrigation.     By  Clarence  T.  Johnston.     Pp.  100. 
Bui.  131.   Plans  of  Structures  in  use  on  Irrigation  Canals  in  the  United  States. 
from  drawings  exhibited  by  the  Office  of  Experiment  Stations  at 
Paris,   in    1900.  and  at   Buffalo,   in   1901.  prepared  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Elwood  Mead,  chief.     Pp.  31. 
*Rul.  133.  Report  of  Irrigation  Investigations  for  1902.  under  the  direction  of 
Elwood  Mead,  chi«f.    Pp.  286, 
Bui.  134.  Storage  of  Water  on  Cache  la  Poudre  and  Rig  Thompson  Rivers.     By 
C  !•:.  Tait.     Pp.  100. 

[Continued   mi    third    pope  of  cover.] 


%6  Issued  April  15,  190! 

U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OE  AGRICULTURE. 

OFFICE  OF  EXPERIMENT  STATIONS— BULLETIN  183. 
A.  C.  TRUE,  Director. 


MECHANICAL  TESTS 


PUMPS  AND  PUMPING  PLANTS 

Used  for  Irrigation  and  Drainage  in 
Louisiana  in  1905  and  1906. 


W.  B.  GREGORY. 

is  rr  of  Experimental  Engineering 
Tulane  University  of  Louisiana. 


WASHINGTON: 
GOVERNMENT   PRINTING   OFFICE, 

19  0  7, 


THE  OFFICE  OF  EXPERIMENT  STATIONS. 

STAFF. 
A.  C.  True,  Ph.  D.,  Director. 

E.  W.  Allen,  Ph.  D.,  Assistant  Director  and  Editor  of  Experiment  Station  Record. 
W.  H.  Beal,  B.  A.,  M.  E.,  Chief  of  Editorial  Division. 
Elwood  Mead,  D.  E.,    Chief  of  Irrigation  and  Drainage  Investigations. 

(2) 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL. 


U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture, 

Office  of  Experiment  Stations, 
Washington,  D.  C,  January  16,  1907. 
Sir  :  I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  herewith  a  report  on  mechanical 
tests  of  pumps  and  pumping  plants  used  for  irrigation  and  drainage 
in  Louisiana,  prepared  under  the  direction  of  Elwood  Mead,  chief  of 
Irrigation  and  Drainage  Investigations,  by  Prof.  W.  B.  Gregory,  of 
Tulane  University,  and  to  recommend  its  publication  as  a  bulletin  of 
this  Office. 

Very  respect  fully,  A.  C.  True, 

Director. 
Hon.  James  Wilson, 

Secretary  of  Agriculture. 

(3) 


CONTENTS. 

Page. 

Introduction 7 

Instruments   used 9 

Methods  pursued 11 

Probable  accuracy  of  results 12 

Description  of  plants  and  results  of  tests 13 

Plant  No.  1,  Abbeville  Canal  Company 13 

Plant  No.  2,  Abbott-Duson  Canal,  Main  pumping  plant 16 

Plant  No.  3,  Abbott-Duson  Canal,  first  relift 20 

Plant  No.  4.  Abbott-Duson  Canal,  second  relift 22 

Plant  No.  5.  Acadia    Canal _m 24 

Plant  No.  o.  Acadia    relift 27 

Plant  No.  7,  Grand  Canal,  old  plant 28 

Plant  No.  8,  Grand  Canal,  new  plant 31 

Plant  No.  9,  Abbott  Brothers'  lower  farm 34 

Plant  No.  10,  Wesson  farm 36 

Plant  No.  11.  Saxby  farm 38 

Plant  No.  12.  Crowley  Farming  Company 40 

Plant  No.  13.  South  Side  Planting  Company  drainage  wheel 42 

Plant  No.  14.  Algiers  drainage  plant 4." 

Plant  No.  15.  New  Orleans  drainage  station  No.  3 47 

Plant  No.  10.  New  Orleans  drainage  station  No.  7 48 

Plant  No.  17.  Neches  Canal  Company 51 

Summary  of  results  of  all  tests 55 

Discussion  of  results 58 

Drainage  plants 70 

(5) 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Taeo 

Fig.  1.  Pitot  tube 10 

2.  Drainage  wheel,  near  New  Orleans 4  ', 

3.  Diagram  showing  profits  and  losses  with  Plant  No.  I 08 

4.  Diagram  showing  cost  of  fuel  and  total  cost  of  irrigation  per  acre 

under  varying  conditions 69 

(6) 


MECHANICAL  TESTS  OF  PUMPS  AND  PUMPING  PLANTS  USED  FOR  IRRI- 
GATION AND  DRAINAGE  IN  LOUISIANA,  1905  AND  1906. 


INTRODUCTION. 

Some  of  the  largest  pumping  plants  in  the  world  used  for  irrigation 
are  located  in  the  rice  country  of  Louisiana  and  Texas.  It  is  only 
ten  or  eleven  years  since  the  first  of  these  plants  of  any  considerable 
size  was  established. 

Rice  irrigation  had  passed  through  the  experimental  stage,  and 
lands  previously  considered  suitable  only  for  grazing  were  being 
rapidly  brought  under  rice  cultivation.  The  new  industry  offered 
exceptional  inducements  to  capital,  as  rice  was  an  unusually  profit- 
able crop.  The  first  pumping  plants  were  located  along  the  rivers, 
bayous,  and  small  streams,  but  as  the  area  under  cultivation  was  in- 
creased it  became  desirable  to  plant  rice  on  land  that  was  out  of  reach 
of  the  large  canals.  Search  for  underground  waters  was  usually 
rewarded;  the  deep  wells  of  Louisiana  and  the  shallow  wells  of 
Texas  have  served  to  supply  water  for  irrigating  vast  tracts  that 
otherwise  could  not  have  been  used  for  rice  growing. 

Many  of  the  large  pumping  plants,  erected  during  the  early  period 
of  the  development  of  the  industry,  showed  an  entire  lack  of  consider- 
ation of  economy.  A  certain  amount  of  water  was  needed  and  the 
pumps  were  capable  of  supplying  the  demand,  but  the  amount  of  fuel 
required  to  do  the  work  was  entirely  too  great.  Rice  growers  were 
so  prosperous  that  questions  of  economy  did  not  arise,  and  lack  of 
experience  was  accountable  for  their  indifference.  It  is  true  that 
some  of  the  pumping  plants  built  at  that  time  were  excellent  ex- 
amples of  good  engineering,  but  these  were  exceptional. 

The  fuel  used  was  wood  and  coal.  With  the  former  the  expense 
was  often  only  that  of  cutting  and  handling,  but  even  so,  it  was  not 
cheap  fuel,  and  plants  designed  to  use  it  needed  larger  boiler  equip- 
ment than  was  required  if  coal  was  used. 

The  discovery  of  oil  at  Beaumont,  Tex.,  in  1901,  and  later  at  many 
other  points  in  both  Louisiana  and  Texas,  has  revolutionized  the  fuel 
supply  of  that  section.  The  Jennings  oil  field  is  located  in  the  heart 
of  the  rice  country  of  Louisiana,  and  furnishes  fuel  for  nearly  all  of 
the  pumping  plants  for  miles  around. 

(7) 


8 

The  life  of  pumping  plants  varies  with  conditions,  among  which 
may  be  mentioned,  |  1 )  the  quality  of  the  machinery,  including 
merit  of  design,  and  (2)  the  skill  with  which  it  is  operated  and  the 
care  bestowed  on  its  various  parts  wheu  idle  as  weD  as  when  in  use. 
Plant-  are  operated  for  only  three  or  four  months  in  the  year.  The 
proportioning  of  boilers  to  supply  steam  easily  and  economically 
contributes  not  only  to  the  satisfactory  operation  of  a  plant,  but  to 
the  length  of  life  of  the  boilers  as  well. 

Many  of  these  first  plants  have  become  conspicuous  on  account  of 
the  >ize  of  their  fuel  bills.  The  cost  of  plants  having  different  types 
of  machinery  is  almost  a  constant  quantity  when  based  on  an  equal 
amount  of  work  to  be  done  by  the  pumps.  In  the  larger  plants 
reliable  figures  show  that  the  economical  and  the  wasteful  plant  will 
differ  in  first  cost  by  only  a  small  amount,  and  that  the  diiference  is 
in  favor  of  the  economical  plant. 

The  above  refers  to  first  cost  only.  When  the  cost  of  fuel  is  con- 
sidered, the  economical  plant  will  often  do  the  same  work  as  the 
wasteful  plant  for  one-third  of  the  amount.  These  facts  have  been 
brought  home  to  owners  of  the  large  canals  in  statements  of  annual 
expenses. 

Of  these  earlier  plants,  those  which  represent  the  cheapest  and 
lowest  grade  of  machinery  are  now  about  ready  for  the  scrap  pile. 
In  fact,  many  of  them  would  have  been  replaced  ere  this  had  not  the 
three  years  preceding  the  season  of  1905  been  unfavorable  from  a 
financial  standpoint,  as  the  profits  were  lower  than  formerly.  The 
reduction  of  profits  has  had  the  effect  of  calling  attention  to  sources 
of  waste  and  has  made  the  study  of  the  economies  of  pumping  of 
great  importance. 

In  many  sections  rice  farmers  have  the  choice  of  pumping  water 
from  wells  or  of  taking  it  from  canals,  paying  for  the  privilege  with 
two  sacks  of  rice  per  acre  or  one-fifth  of  the  crop. 

The  small  well  plants  have  been  found  to  use  fuel  wastefully* on 
account  of  the  fact  that  economical  engines  are  not  made  in  small 
sizes,  and  also  on  account  of  the  difficulties  incident  to  pumping  from 
wells.  More  is  now  known  of  the  life  of  the  average  well,  and  the 
farmer  is  asking  whether  he  can  afford  to  continue  to  operate  his  little 
plant  if  a  canal  is  available. 

Changes  must  come  in  the  near  future,  and  while  individual  ex- 
perience is  valuable  and  will  aid  in  the  settling  of  some  of  these 
questions,  it  is  not  wide  enough  to  cover  all.  During  1905  and  1900 
the  Irrigation  and  Drainage  Investigations  of  the  Office  of  Experi- 
ment Stations.  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture,  has  con- 
ducted tests  of  typical  pumping  plants  to  help  in  the  settlement  of 
these  problems.     The  problem  of  drainage  has  also  claimed  some  at- 


tention,  and  some  of  the  plants  tested  are  used  exclusively  for  drain- 
age. It  is  not  claimed  that  these  tests  cover  the  whole  range  of  con- 
ditions, but  it  is  believed  that  they  are  typical  and  that  the  deductions 


are  general. 


INSTRUMENTS   USED. 


The  instruments  used  were  in  part  furnished  by  the  U.  S.  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture,  while  others  were  loaned  by  Tulane  University, 
of  Louisiana.  Among  the  former  were  two  steam-engine  indicators 
having  reducing  wheels,  a  current  meter,  and  a  100-foot  tape.  The 
instruments  loaned  consisted  of  a  Pitot  tube,  hook  gage,  pressure  and 
vacuum  gages,  revolution  counters,  hydrometer,  and  thermometers. 
In  one  test  a  Pitot  tube  loaned  by  the  Mississippi  River  Commission 
was  also  used. 

The  springs  of  the  steam-engine  indicators,  the  gages,  and  ther- 
mometers were  calibrated  in  the  experimental  engineering  laboratory 
of  Tulane  University.  The  rating  of  the  current  meter  was  fur- 
nished by  this  Department,  while  the  Pitot  tube  was  made  of  such 
form  that  its  constant  was  known  to  be  unity.  In  a  few  cases  weirs 
were  used  to  measure  the  water  discharged  by  the  pumps;  the  weirs 
were  invariably  of  the  Cipolletti  form. 

The  form  of  Pitot  tube  used  is  shown  in  figure  1.  This  instru- 
ment was  used  both  in  open  channels,  as  a  current  meter,  and  to 
traverse  pipes  to  obtain  mean  velocity.  In  one  case  the  two  Pitot 
tubes  were  used  in  suction  pipes  of  a  pump,  and  therefore  under  a 
negative  pressure  or  vacuum,  while  in  another  test  the  Tulane  tube 
was  used  in  the  discharge  pipe  of  a  pump  under  a  positive  pressure. 
In  every  case  the  results  were  consistent  and  reliable.  Readings 
from  Pitot  tubes  were  invariably  taken  in  feet  of  water,  and  the 
instruments  were  used  only  where  the  velocity  was  sufficiently  great 
to  give  a  difference  of  level  on  static  and  impact  sides  that  could  be 
read  with  aceurac}^  The  velocities  determined  in  this  way  were  from 
3  to  5  feet  per  second.  The  Price  current  meter  was  often  used  alter- 
nately with  the  Tulane  tube,  and  the  results  were  equally  satisfactory 
with  both  instruments.  FolloAving  is  a  brief  description  of  this 
instrument  and  statement  of  the  theory  on  which  it  is  constructed : 

The' outer  tube  consists  of  hard-drawn  brass  tubing  of  approxi- 
mately three-fourths  of  an  inch  external  diameter.  The  part  which 
is  turned  toward  the  current  of  water  the  velocity  of  which  is  to  be 
measured  is  approximately  7  inches  long.  The  inner  tube  receiving 
the  impact  of  the  current  is  about  one-fourth  of  an  inch  in  external 
diameter.  This  tube  is  carried  inside  the  outer  tube  to  the  upper 
end  of  the  latter  and  projects  about  1  inch  beyond,  where  it  is  con- 
nected by  means  of  rubber  tubing  to  one  of  the  glass  tubes  placed  in 


10 

front  of  a  metallic  scale  graduated  in  feet,  tenths,  and  hundredths. 
About  two-thirds  of  the  length  back  from  the  point  of  the  7-inch 
tube  already  referred  to  are  two  holes  one-sixteenth  of  an  inch  in 
diameter  drilled  through  the  outer  tube.  These  holes  are  in  a  hori- 
zontal plane  when  the  tube  is  held  in  a  vertical  position.  Through 
these  openings  water  enters  the  outer  tube,  at  the  upper  end  of  which 


Fig.  l.— Pitottube. 

is  a  small  piece  of  brass  tubing,  also  projecting  about  1  inch  and  con- 
necting to  the  second  glass  tube  in  front  of  the  graduated  scale  by 
means  of  a  short  length  of  rubber  tubing  similar  to  that  used  with  the 
impact  tube.  The  upper  end  of  the  outer  tube  is  closed  and  the 
two  small  tubes  are  held  in  place  by  means  of  solder.  The  two  glass 
tubes  are  connected  at  the  top,  and  a  third  opening  allows  a  rubber 


11 

tube  to  be  attached,  by  means  of  which  the  water  in  both  tubes  may 
be  raised  by  suction  to  a  convenient  height  for  reading.  A  pinch 
cock  is  used  to  close  this  tube.  The  channel  holding  the  graduated 
scale  and  glass  tubes  is  of  aluminum,  the  light  weight  of  which  pre- 
vents the  instrument  from  being  top  heavy.  A  handle,  easily  detached 
by  means  of  thumbscrews,  serves  to  accurately  align  the  point  of  the 
tube  in  the  manipulation  of  the  instrument. 

A  gland  and  stuffing  box  is  also  provided  for  use  when  the  instru- 
ment is  used  to  traverse  a  pipe  either  under  a  vacuum  or  under  pres- 
sure. 

When  the  instrument  is  used  to  measure  velocity,  the  point  is 
turned  to  receive  the  impact  of  the  current  of  water,  while  the  open- 
ings on  the  side  of  the  tube  give  its  static  pressure.  The  difference 
between  these  two  pressures,  measured  in  feet  of  water,  is  the  head 
corresponding  to  velocity  by  the  well-known  formula  V=^2  gh,  in 
which  V  equals  the  velocit}^  in  feet  per  second,  g  is  the  acceleration 
of  gravity,  usually  taken  as  32.2  feet  per  second,  per  second,  and  h  is 
the  difference  of  head  in  the  two  tubes  in  feet  of  water  One  advantage 
of  this  instrument  over  the  current  meter  is  that  no  time  observation  is 
required.  If  properly  constructed,  no  constant  is  needed  in  the  for- 
mula to  reduce  the  reading  of  head  to  velocity.  Long  experience  has 
shown  that  an  instrument  constructed  as  the  one  shown  in  figure  1 
fulfills  this  requirement. 

METHODS   PURSUED. 

In  making  mechanical  tests  of  pumping  plants  the  following  ob- 
servations Avere  taken  where  practicable;  exceptions  are  noted  in  the 
description  of  individual  tests:  (1)  Amount  and  specific  gravity  of 
fuel  oil  used.  In  every  case  where  this  quantity  was  measured  the 
fuel  used  was  crude  petroleum.  (2)  The  amount  and  temperature 
of  water  fed  to  the  boilers  and  the  steam  pressure.  (3)  The  indicated 
horsepower  of  the  engine,  obtained  from  the  indicator  cards  and 
revolutions  per  minute  of  engine.  (4)  The  actual  height  through 
which  the  water  was  lifted.  (5)  The  volume  of  water  pumped  per 
unit  of  time.  The  cost  of  fuel  oil  was  also  obtained,  and  in  some 
cases  numerous  other  readings  of  minor  importance  were  taken ;  they 
are  given  in  the  logs  of  tests. 

The  specific  gravity  of  the  oil  was  taken  with  a  hydrometer.  It 
was  found  to  vary  but  slightly,  and  for  this  reason  an  average  value 
was  taken  and  the  number  of  barrels  used  in  every  case  was  computed 
on  this  common  basis  of  specific  gravity  of  0.895;  the  average  tem- 
perature was  about  90°  F.  Fuel  oil  is  bought  on  a  basis  of  meas- 
urements of  42  gallons  per  barrel,  no  correction  being  made  for  dif- 
fering temperatures.     In  most  cases  the  oil  was  measured  in  carefully 


12 

calibrated  barrels.  In  a  few  instances  it  was  measured  by  the  fall  in 
level  in  a  cylindrical  tank. 

The  height  through  which  the  water  was  Lifted  was  obtained  by 
direct  measurement.  In  the  test  of  well  plants  the  head  taken  was  the 
distance  from  the  Level  at  which  it  stood  in  the  discharge  pipe  or 
-net ion  pipe  when  the  pump  was  not  in  operation  to  the  point  to 
which  the  pump  elevated  it.  More  will  be  said  on  this  point  under 
the  description  of  individual  tests. 

In  the  case  of  Large  irrigation  plants  the  discharge  from  the  pumps 
was  invariably  measured  in  the  discharge  flume  by  means  of  the 
current  meter  or  Pitot  tube.  The  method  is  given  in  each  case  in 
detail. 

The  amount  of  moisture  present  in  the  steam  was  not  measured,  as 
many  of  the  plants  were  in  continuous  operation,  and  openings  in 
-team  pipes  for  the  insertion  of  a  calorimeter  could  not  he  made. 
Mr.  William  Kent,  the  well-known  authority  on  steam  boiler-,  states 
that  in  tests  of  boilers  he  has  never  found  more  than  3  per  cent  of 
moisture  in  the  steam  from  a  well-proportioned  boiler  in  a  single 
test,  while  the  average,  from  a  series  of  tests,  never  exceeds  H  per 
cent.  We  may  therefore  conclude  that  the  error  in  assuming  the 
steam  to  be  free  from  water,  as  was  done  in  these  te>t>.  was  no  greater 
than  in  some  of  the  other  observations. 

While  the  tests  reported  must  not  be  supposed  to  be  of  the1  highest 
degree  of  accuracy,  they  are  believed  to  be  as  accurate  as  possible 
under  existing  conditions.  The  object  was  to  conduct  test>  under  the 
conditions  as  they  were  found  to  exist,  and  a  rather  wide  held  had  to 
be  covered  in  a  limited  time. 

PROBABLE   ACCURACY   OF   RESULTS. 

The  error  involved  in  measurements  is  the  ordinary  error  of  obser- 
vation.    It  probably  does  not  exceed  one-half  of  1  per  cent. 

The  amount  of  water  present  in  the  oil  was  determined  in  only  one 
case,  and  although  the  error  from  this  source  is  difficult  to  estimate, 
it  i>  believed  to  be  large  in  some  cases.  However,  commercial  crude 
oil  was  used,  and  the  amount  of  water  present  was  not  unusual. 

In  the  measurement  of  water  furnished  to  boilers  in  the  test  of  the 
larger  plants  the  error  was  that  in  actually  measuring  the  water  in 
calibrated  barrels,  and  was  probably  as  small  as  one-half  of  1  per 
cent. 

In  the  three  cases  where  a  Cipolletti  weir  was  used  the  error  is 
possibly  as  great  as  3  per  cent.  The  error  involved  in  possible  differ- 
ences in  level  of  water  in  boilers  at  starting  and  stopping  of  a  test 
will  decrease  as  the  duration  of  test  increases.  It  is  believed  that 
error-  from  this  source  are  small. 


13 

In  getting  the  indicated  horsepower  of  the  engines  the  most  ap- 
proved methods  were  employed.  In  every  ease  a  perfect  reducing 
motion  was  used.     The  error  involved  may  possibly  be  as  great  as 

3  per  cent  in  individual  cases,  but  probably  does  not  exceed  half  that 
amount  in  the  average. 

Errors  in  measurements  of  the  discharge  of  the  pumps  are  those 
involved  in  the  instruments  used.  The  Price  current  meter  and  the 
Pitot  tube  will  give  results  that  are  accurate  within  3  per  cent.  It 
is  probable  that  the  mean  error  in  most  tests  was  less  than  this 
amount,  while  under  adverse  conditions  the  error  may  increase  to  as 
much  as  5  per  cent.  In  general .  it  is  thought  that  the  error  does  not 
exceed  that  of  the  weirs  used,  or  about  3  per  cent. 

During  many  of  the  tests  indicator  cards  and  revolutions  of  engine 
and  pump  had  to  be  taken  alternately  with  the  measurements  of  the 
water  discharged  from  the  pumps.  Slight  changes  of  conditions 
from  various  causes  undoubtedly  caused  greater  discrepancies  than 
would  have  resulted  from  simultaneous  observations. 

DESCRIPTION  OF  PLANTS  AND  RESULTS  OF  TESTS. 

In  general,  the  tabulated  results  are  self-explanatory. 

The  steam  pressure  i^  given  in  pounds  per  square  inch  above  the 
atmospheric  pressure. 

The  vacuum  gage  is  read  in  inches  of  mercury. 

The  speed  of  engines  and  pumps  is  taken  in  revolutions  per 
minute. 

By  water  horsepower  is  meant — 

Cubic  feet  per  second  X  weight  per  cubic  foot  X  head  in  feet  -~ 
o50. 

The  temperature  of  water  pumped  was  observed,  and  the  cor- 
responding weight  per  cubic  foot  was  used  in  each  case. 

Indicator  cards  were  taken  with  SO,  50.  or  20  pound  springs,  de- 
pending on  the  steam  pressure  carried. 

The  indicated  horsepower  is  the  power  developed  within  the  engine 
cylinder. 

PLANT  NO.    1,  ABBEVILLE  CANAL  COMPANY. 

The  plant  of  the  Abbeville  Canal  Company  is  located  on  the  Ver- 
milion River,  about  H  miles  below  Abbeville.  There  are  '20  miles 
of  main  canal  and  several  miles  of  laterals.  The  area  irrigated 
in  1905  was  3,650  acres,  although  the  plant  has  watered  as  much 
as  6,900  acres  in  a  season.  This  plant  contains  two  horizontal  re- 
turn tubular  boilers  72  inches  in  diameter  by  16  feet  in  length, 
each  containing  70  4-ineh  flues.  They  furnish  steam  to  two  tandem 
compound  condensing  Corliss  engines  having  cylinders  14  and  26 
inches  in  diameter,  stroke  42  inches.     The  r*ods  are  3 J  and  2f  inches 


14 

in  diameter.  The  engines  are  direct  connected  to  chamber  wheel 
or  rotary  pumps  by  means  of  rigid  flange  couplings.  No  foot  valves, 
such  as  arc  often  used  with  centrifugal  pumps,  are  required  for  this 
type  of  pump.  The  plant  is  so  arranged  that  either  unit  may  be 
operated  alone  or  both  used  together. 

An  open  heater  receives  the  exhaust  from  the  vacuum  pump  and 
the  boiler  feed  pump.  An  inspirator  is  used  to  feed  the  boilers  in 
case  of  an  accident  to  the  latter. 

Ordinarily  the  water  fed  to  the  boilers  is  pumped  through  the 
open  heater  and  has  its  temperature  raised  by  the  exhaust  from  the 
auxiliaries  mentioned,  but  during  the  boiler  test  the  heater  was  cut 
out  and  the  boilers  .were  fed  by  means  of  the  inspirator.  The  con- 
denser is  of  the  jet  type,  having  a  single,  direct-acting  air  pump; 
dimensions.  8  and  14  by  18  inches.  During  the  test  it  made  about 
eighteen  double  strokes  per  minute.  This  condenser  has  sufficient 
capacity  for  both  engines. 

The  fuel  is  crude  oil.  The  supply  for  the  season  of  1005  cost  23 
cents  per  barrel  of  42  gallons  at  the  oil  field,  and  transportation 
charges  amounted  to  about  one-half  cent  per  barrel  delivered  at  the 
plant. 

The  engines  and  pumps  are  run  at  different  speeds,  depending  on 
the  demand  for  water;  "high  speed"  is  approximately  sixty  revolu- 
tions, while  u  slow  speed "  averages  about  fift}T  revolutions  per 
minute. 

The  test  was  run  at  "  slow  speed,"  and  only  one  unit  was  operated. 

The  mechanical  condition  of  this  plant  was  as  near  perfection  as 
could  be  desired.  The  pumps  and  engines  appeared  to  be  in  perfect 
adjustment  and  operated  with  marked  smoothness;  there  was  an 
entire  absence  of  jar  or  water-hammer.  The  combined  efficiency  of 
pump  and  engine  was  extraordinarily  high.  It  seems  probable  that 
the  slow  speed  was  favorable  to  a  high  efficiency. 

On  June  19,  1905,  a  boiler  test  was  made,  and  the  following  day 
the  efficiency  of  the  engine  was  determined.  This  was  rendered  nec- 
essary because  of  the  lack  of  sufficient  observers  to  carry  on  a  complete 
test  in  one  day. 

Conditions  were  identical  during  the  two  days,  as  far  as  the  opera- 
tion of  engines  and  pump  were  concerned;  however,  on  the  second 
day  the  plant  was  operated  in  the  usual  way,  using  the  boiler-feed 
pump  and  the  open  heater.  The  water  entered  the  heater  at  a  tem- 
perature of  90°  F.  and  left  the  heater  at  200°  F.  It  was  found  that 
a  saving  of  8  per  cent  of  fuel  resulted  from  this  source. 

Water  and  fuel  oil  were  measured  in  carefully  calibrated  barrels, 
two  being  used  for  the  water  and  one  for  oil.  The  barrels  were  cali- 
brated by  filling  with  weighed  quantities  of  Liquid  and  establishing 
marks  to  which  barrels  were  successively  filled;  they   were  emptied 


15 

into  a  lower  tank,  from  which  the  supply  was  taken.  The  level  of 
the  supply  tank  was  kept  constant. 

Both  the  boiler  test  and  that  of  the  engine  and  pump  were  entirely 
satisfactory. 

The  method  of  obtaining  the  efficiency  of  engine  and  pump  was  as 
follows:  The  flume  had  a  width  of  6.42  feet  and  a  depth  varying 
from  a  little  over  2  feet  to  about  2.5  feet,  depending  on  the  stage  of 
water  in  the  canal,  the  cross  section  of  which  was  divided  into  twenty- 
one  rectangles,  approximately  square.  The  current  meter  or  Pitot 
tube  was  placed  at  the  center  of  each  rectangle  and  the  velocity  of 
the  water  at  that  point  determined.  The  mean  velocity  was  taken  as 
the  mean  of  twenty-one  readings.  Considerable  time,  usually  from 
fifteen  to  twenty  minutes,  was  required  for  a  set  of  readings.  Direct 
measurements  of  the  depth  were  taken  b}T  means  of  a  thin  rule  which 
caused  very  little  disturbance  on  the  surface  of  the  water:  this  was 
done  at  seven  stations,  and  the  average  used  in  computing  the  quan- 
tity of  water. 

As  soon  as  the  water  measurement  was  finished  cards  were  taken 
from  the  engine  and  the  revolutions  counted. 

Although  the  load  and  all  conditions  were  practically  constant 
there  were  slight  fluctuations  in  speed,  and  the  indicator  cards  and 
revolutions  per  minute  were  doubtless  taken  in  some  cases  under  con- 
ditions varying  slightly  from  those  under  which  the  water  measure- 
ments were  made.  The  latter  may  be  considered  as  a  better  average, 
as  they  extended  over  several  minutes,  while  the  indicated  horsepower 
was  necessarily  computed  from  instantaneous  observations. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  it  was  impossible  to  determine  the  amount 
of  moisture  in  the  steam,  but  there  was  no  opening  in  the  pipe  for  a 
calorimeter,  and  one  could  not  be  made  without  the  risk  of  delaying 
the  operation  of  the  plant. 

The  results  of  this  test  are  remarkable  for  the  high  efficiency  of 
pump  and  engine,  the  average  combined  efficiency  being  81.7  per  cent. 
Assuming  a  mechanical  efficiency  of  engine  of  92.5  per  cent,  the 
average  efficiency  of  pump  would  be  88.3  per  cent,  which  is  a  very 
high  value. 

The  slip  of  the  pump  is  also  worthy  of  notice:  its  average  value 
was  1.6  per  cent.  Each  revolution  of  the  pump  gave  a  theoretic  dis- 
placement of  660  gallons ;  the  difference  between  the  theoretic  displace- 
ment and  the  discharge  actually  found,  divided  by  the  former,  is 
the  slip.  Variations  in  results  are  doubtless  due  to  slight  changes  in 
steam  pressure  and  consequent  fluctuations  in  speed  of  engine  and 
pump. 

The  velocity  observations  were  taken,  alternately,  with  a  Price 
current  meter  and  Pitot  tube,  and  consequently  are  more  convincing 
than  would  have  been  the  case  had  a  single  instrument  been  used. 


16 

The  results  of  the  boiler  and  the  pump  and  engine  tests  follow : 

Boiler  test,  Abbeville  plant,  June  19,  1905. 

Duration  of  test.  1\  hours. 
Total  fuel  oil,  2,568  pounds. 

Average  steam  pressure  by  gage,  132.2  pounds  per  square  inch. 
Average  temperature  of  feed  water.  87.2°  F. 
Factor  of  evaporation,  1.1758. 
Total  weight  of  water  fed  to  boiler,  26,271  pounds. 
Equivalent  water  evaporated  from  and  at  212c  F..  30,889  pounds. 
Boiler  horsepower.    1 19. 
Average  temperature  of  fuel  oil,  88    P. 
Average  air  temperature.  S7°  F. 

Water  apparently  evaporated  per  pound  of  fuel  oil.  10.23  pounds. 
Equivalent    evaporation    from    and    at    '2V2°    F.    (not   corrected    for   quality    of 
steam  ).  12.03  pounds. 

Total  feed  water  per  indicated  horsepower  hour.  22.5  pounds. 

Engine  a  nil  pump  test.  Abbeville  Canal  Company. 


s 

Co 

Indicated  horsepower. 

-  ~ 

—  z 

-  — 
J. 

g  : 

£- 

Ik-ad. 
Discharge. 

-    . 

*  * 

I 

_  s 

"8  J 

- 

a 
■- 
"3 

3 

ressi 

ions 
eof 

High  pressure,    j     Low  pressure. 

a 

■d 
5 

w 

*4 

r- 

5 

z 

r- 

53 

8.20 

9.35 

9.55 

10,10 

12.05 

12.30 

Lbs. 

129 
132 

136 
135 
134 
137 
132 
128 
L26 

49.5 
49.5 
50.0 
51.0 
51 . 5 
50.0 
50.0 
50.0 
49.5 

45. 1 
43. 5 
14.6 

44.9 
44.4 
43.4 
43.  7 

44.3 
41.2 

45. 2 
42.  5 
42.5 
13.0 

41.6 
41.2 
41.0 
40.4 

Ki.:: 

90.3 
86.0 
87.1 
*7.9 
86.0 
84.4 
S4.7 
84.7 
M.5 

36.1 
34.8 
36.  8 

35.  2 
35.0 
34.3 
34.2 
33.5 
31.7 

36.  2 
35.0 
36.2 
35.  6 
35.  2 
33.7 
32.  3 
35.  3 

72.3 
69.8 
73.0 
70.8 
70.2 
68.0 
66.5 
68.8 
68.5 

162.6 

1 55.  8 
160. 1 

158.7 

156.  2 
152.4 

en.  ft. 
per 
Feet.      sec. 
16.21     69.9 
15.  mo     71.5 
15.72     71.8 
15.62     74.6 
15.  40     75. 3 

128.1 
128.5 
127.6 

131.6 
131.1 

Per 
cent. 

7-  8 
82.  5 
79.  7 
82.9 
83.9 

Per 
cent. 

4.0 
1.8 

2.3 
.6 
.6 

1.(15 

2.28 

2.46 

151.2 
153.5 

150. 0 

15.21      71. 0 
15.17     73.4 
15.15     72.1 

123.2 
125.8 
123.9 

81.5 
82.0 
82.  6 

2.6 
.2 
.5 

Mean. . 

132        5').  1 

155.6     15.55     72.6 

127. 5 

81. 7         1-6 

PLANT  NO.   2,  ABBOTT-DUSON  CANAL,  MAIN  PUMPING  PLANT. 

The  main  pumping  plant  of  the  AJbbott-Duson  ("anal  system  is 
Located  about  -2\  miles  west  of  Egan,  La.,  on  Bayou  des  Cannes,  one 
of  the  streams  which  unite  to  form  the  Mermentau  River. 

This  canal  system  connects  with  that  of  the  Acadia  Canal.  There 
are  30  miles  of  main  canal  and  IT)  of  laterals.  These  two  canals 
have  watered  as  much  as  23,000  acres  of  rice  in  a  season,  but  the 
acreage  in  11)05  was  about  18,480.  The  main  canal  is  100  feet  wide 
from  center  to  center  of  levees. 

The  plant  contains  six  horizontal  return  tubular  boilers.  72  inches 
in  diameter  by  L8  feet  in  Length,  each  containing  72  4-inch  (lues. 
This  plant  was  installed  previous  to  the  discovery  of  oil  in  that  sec- 
tion. The  boilers  have  a  Large  heating  surface,  as  they  were  intended 
for  wood  fuel. 


17 

During  the  test,  although  the  boilers  were  connected  to  the  same 

steam  main,  pressures  were  read  from  each  boiler  gage.  One  of  the 
six  gages  used  was  a  standard  gage,  by  means  of  which  the  others 
were  calibrated  while  the  engines  were  not  running,  and  where  con- 
sequently the  steam  pre>sure  in  all  the  boilers  was  equal. 

The  Jennings  oil  field  is  located  about  2  miles  from  this  pumping 
plant,  and  a  2-inch  pipe  line  direct  from  the  field  supplies  the  crude 
petroleum,  which  has  replaced  wood  as  fuel.  The  cost  of  fuel  deliv- 
ered at  the  plant  was  3.~>  cents  per  barrel  of  42  gallons. 

There  are  two  direct-acting  steam  pumps  for  boiler  feed.  These 
pumps  have  steam  pistons  7^  inches  and  water  pistons  5  inches  in 
diameter,  with  10-inch  stroke.  The  plungers  are  inside  packed. 
Either  is  used  ordinarily  to  supply  the  boilers.  During  the  test  one 
furnished  water  from  the  bayou,  and  after  it  was  passed  through  a 
6-inch  Cipolletti  weir  and  measured  it  was  forced  by  the  other  pump 
through  the  heater  to  the  boilers.  The  depth  of  water  over  the  weir 
was  observed  by  means  of  a  very  accurate  hook  gage. 

Three  heaters  are  used,  one  on  the  exhaust  pipe  of  each  engine.  42 
inches  in  diameter  and  S  feet  G  inches  long,  each  containing  100  tubes 
2  inches  in  diameter:  the  third  is  a  closed  heater,  receiving  the  ex- 
haust from  the  boiler  feed  pump  or  pumps  and  from  the  condenser 
pump.  The  piping  is  so  arranged  that  water  is  forced  through  all 
three  heaters  before  going  finally  to  the  boilers. 

There  are  two  simple  condensing  Corliss  engines  having  cylinders 
24  inches  in  diameter  and  48-inch  stroke. 

The  piston  rods  are  Sj  inches  in  diameter. 

One  jet  condenser  is  used  for  both  engines,  diameter  of  steam 
cylinder  14  inches,  air  cylinder  22  inches,  stroke  24  inches. 

Rope  drive-  are  used  to  transmit  power  from  engines  to  pumps. 
The  engine  fly  wheels  are  It;  feet  in  diameter  and  each  has  18 
grooves:   1.454  feet  of  lj-inch  rope  is  used  in  each  drive. 

The  sheaves  on  the  pump  shaft  are  4  feet  3^  inches  in  diameter. 

There  are  six  horizontal  shaft  centrifugal  pumps,  having  suction 
pipes  20  inches  in  diameter  and  discharge  pipes  18  inches  in  diameter. 
Although  there  is  a  single  suction  pipe,  the  water  i<  divided  into  two 
equal  streams  as  it  enters  the  pump,  by  means  of  cored  passages 
around  the  sides  of  vortex  chamber,  so  that  at  the  eye  of  the  pump  it 
receives  water  from  both  sides.  This  pump  is  identical  with  that 
described  in  test  No.  8  of  Abbott  Brothers  pumping  plant.  Three 
pump-  were  driven  by  each  engine.  They  were  arranged  with  their 
>haft>  joined  together  by  flanged  couplings,  so  that  all  could  be 
operated  at  once,  or  only  one  or  two,  depending  on  the  level  of  the 
water  in  the  bayou  and  the  consequent  lift.  "When  the  water  is  very 
high,  as  during  the  test,  all  the  pumps  are  operated.    The  water  level 

■J.-S44— Xo.  183—07  M 2 


18 

is  subject  to  considerable  fluctuations,  and  under  conditions  of  ex- 
treme low  water  it  may  be  desirable  to  operate  two  pumps  or  even 
only  one  by  each  engine.  The  discharge  pipe  terminates  in  an  elbow 
in  each  case,  so  that  the  water  is  discharged  down  the  flume. 

In  making  the  test  it  was  found  that  it  would  be  impossible  to 
measure  the  water  used  by  boilers,  in  barrels,  as  the  quantity  re- 
quired was  entirely  too  great.  No  method  was  available  except  to 
use  a  weir.  The  error  involved  is  that  due  to  a  G-inch  Cipolletti 
weir.  The  measurements  of  head  on  weir  were  taken  by  means  of 
a  hook  gage,  very  accurate  readings  being  obtained  by  means  of  a 
vernier. 

The  load,  and  consequently  the  demand  for  water,  was  very  uniform, 
and  it  is  believed  that  the  results  obtained  contain  an  extremely  small 
error. 

The  boilers  were  examined  and  correction  was  made  for  the  small 
amount  of  leakage  at  blow-off. 

During  the  test  some  difficulty  was  experienced  with  the  fuel  oil, 
as  the  tanks  were  filled  only  a  short  time  before  test  was  begun.  The 
trouble  was  due  to  the  presence  of  water  in  the  oil,  and  to  some  extent 
to  sediment  getting  into  the  oil  pipes  because  of  the  low  level  of  oil 
in  the  supply  tank. 

The  water  discharged  from  the  pumps  was  measured  by  means  of  a 
current  meter,  slowly  traversing  the  flume  at  three  different  depths. 
The  depths  were  carefully  taken  at  10  different  points  across  the 
section.  The  flume  was  about  IS. 7  feet  wide,  and  the  depth  was  about 
2.7  feet.  This  flume  is  nearly  2,300  feet  long,  and  is  supported  by  a 
wooden  frameAvork  from  6  to  10  feet  above  the  ground.  It  is  several 
years  old,  and  there  was  some  leakage.  On  account  of  the  turbulence 
of  the  water,  due  to  the  high  velocity  of  discharge,  it  was  necessary 
to  go  down  the  flume  about  1,000  feet  from  the  pumps  in  order  to 
find  a  point  Avhere  the  surface  of  the  water  was  placid  enough  to  per- 
mit accurate  measurements  of  depth.  The  mean  velocity  of  discharge 
was  14.75  feet  per  second,  as  the  elbow  at  the  end  of  discharge  pipe  was 
of  the  same  cross  section  as  the  pipe.  The  velocity  head  at  discharge 
was  therefore  3.38  feet.  The  losses  at  entrance  of  suction  pipe,  in 
suction  and  discharge  pipe,  and  in  the  pump  were  all  large  on  account 
of  this  high  velocity.  This  fact  is  clearly  shown  by  a  comparison 
of  the  results  of  the  one  observation,  taken  at  3.30  p.  m.,  with  the 
results  of  all  the  other  observations. 

It  will  be  seen  that  a  reduction  of  average  speed  of  pumps  from 
257  to  217  revolutions  per  minute  gave  a  reduction  of  indicated  horse- 
power of  over  50  per  cent,  and  that,  approximately,  two-thirds  as 
much  water  was  pumped  as  at  the  high  speed.  The  efficiency  of 
engine,  transmission,  and  pumps  was  correspondingly  raised  from 
42.9  per  cent  for  the  high  speed  to  53.3  per  cent  at  the  low  speed. 
The  stage  of  the  water  in  the  bayou  was  unusually  high.     With  a 


19 


normal  suction  head  the  total  head  would  have  been  much  greater, 
and  a  higher  speed  than  that  found  advantageous  during  the  test 
would  have  been  required. 

The  results  of  the  test  are  given  below  : 

Boiler  test  No.  2,  main  pumping  plant,  Abbott-Duson  canal,  August  3,  1905. 

Duration  of  test,  5  hours. 

Total  fuel  oil,  7,988  pounds. 

Average  steam  pressure  by  gage,  82.15  pounds  per  square  inch. 

Average  temperature  of  feed  water,  168.5°  F. 

Factor  of  evaporation,  1.081. 

Total  weight  of  water  fed  to  boiler,  82,800  pounds. 

Equivalent  water  evaporated  from  and  at  212°  F.,  89,513  pounds. 

Boiler  horsepower,  519. 

Average  temperature  of  fuel  oil,  89°  F. 

Average  air  temperature,  96°  F. 

Water  apparently  evaporated  per  pound  of  oil,  10.36  pounds. 

Equivalent  evaporation  from  and  at  212°  F.  (not  corrected  for  quality  of 
steam),  11.21  pounds. 

Total  feed  water  (including  steam  used  by  auxiliaries)  per  indicated  horse- 
power-hour, 24.7  pounds. 

Engine  and  pump  test,  Abbott-Duson  main  plant,  August  3,  1905. 


Steam 
pressure. 

Indicated  horsepower. 

Total  in- 

Time. 

Vacuum 
gage. 

Engine  No.  1. 

Engine  No.  2. 

dicated 
horse- 

Head.   |    Crank. 

Total. 

Head. 

Crank,    j    Total. 

power. 

9.00 

9.30 

10.00 

10.30 

11.00 

11.30 

12  m 

12.30 

1.00 

1.30 

2.00 

Pounds. 

83 
86 
82 
79 
79 
79 
85 
82 
83 
85 
83 

Inches. 
22  A 
22.4 
22.1 
22.0 
21.2 
22. 1 
22.5 
22.1 
22.3 
22.2 
22.3 

178.7 
179.5 
174. 2 
177.5 
176.4 
177.2 
178.9 
178.9 
180.6 
181.5 
180.6 

169.7 
167.9 
170.3 
166.1 
168.8 
168.7 
168.3 
167.6 
172.9 
173.3 
168.5 

348.4 
347.4 
344.5 
343.6 
345.2 
345.9 
347.2 
346.  5 
353.  5 
354.8 
349.1 

176.9 
174.3 
168.8 
167.  5 
162.6 
164.6 
167.2 
160.7 
162. 4 
163.8 
160.5 

163.1 
164.3 
158.5 
158.0 
155.  0 
155.8 
157.7 
151.7 
156.0 
154.5 
153.4 

340.0 
338.6 
327.3 
325. 5 
317.6 
320.4 
324.9 
312.4 
318.4 
318.3 
313.9 

688.4 
686.0 
671.8 
669.1 
662.8 
666.3 
672.1 
658.9 
671.9 
673.1 
663.0 

Mean . 
3.30 

82.3 

22.1 

671.2 



82.7 
232.3 

85.2 
201.9 

167.9 
434.2 

70.2 
235.2 

75.5  !        145.7 
200.5           435.7 

313.6 

4.30 

869.9 

Revolutions  per  minute. 

Discharge. 

! 
Useful  wa- 

Time. 

Engine 
No.  1. 

Engine 
No.  2. 

Pump        Pump 
No.  1.         No.  2. 

Head. 

ter  horse-    Efficiency, 
power. 

9.00 

69.0 

69.0 

68.5 

68.5 

68.25 

69.0 

68.5 

68.5 

69.0 

69.0 

68.  75 

69.5 

69!  0 
68.5 
68.0 
68.5 
68.5 
68.0 
68.5 
68.5 
68.25 

Fed. 

258               260           16.20 

Cubic  feet 
per  second. 

1    Per  cent. 

9.30 

10.00 

10.30 

11.00 

11.30 

12m 

12.30 

1.00 

1.30 

2.00 

258 
256 
256 
255 
258 
256 
256 
258 
258 
257 

258           16.20 
258  1        16.20 
256  i        16.20 
254  !        16.21 
256           16.21 
256           16.21 

254  j         16.21 
256           16. 22 
256  1        16.23 

255  16.23 

155 

157 
156 
154 
156 
157 
158 
161 
156 
155 

284.5 
288.1 
286.2 
282.8 
286.4 
288.3 
290.1 
295.8 
286.8 
285.0 

41.5 
42.9 
42.8 
42.7 
43.0 
42.9 
44.0 
44.0 
42.6 
43.0 

Mean  . 

3.30 

4.30 

68.7                68.6     |            257  |            256           16.21 

156.5 

287.4  j                42.9 

58.0                59.0     i            217 
74.0    |           75.0                276 

220           16.23 
280  |        16.23 

101 

178 

186.0  i                59.3 
327.0                  37.6 

20 

PLANT    NO   3,   ABBOTT-DTJSON    CANAL,   FIRST    RELIFT. 

This  test  was  made  or  the  pumping  plant  forming  the  first  relift 
of  the  Al)l)()tt-I)iison  canal  system. 

The  plant  is  located  at  Egan,  La.,  aoout  2|  miles  east  of  the  main 
pumping  plant. 

The  boiler  equipment  consists  of  three  horizontal  return  tubular 
boilers.  72  inches  in  diameter  by  18  feet  long,  each  containing  72 
4 -inch  tubes. 

Under  ordinary  conditions  an  open  heater  is  used.  A  direct-act ing 
steam  pump  furnishes  water  to  the  heaters,  and  a  similar  pump 
takes  the  water  from  the  heater  and  delivers  it  to  the  boilers.  The 
heater  receives  the  exhaust  from  these  two  pumps  and  also  from  the 
condenser  pump.  During  the  test  the  heater  was  not  used,  as  tli<i 
water  had  to  be  measured.  The  piping  was  changed  so  that  one  of 
the  pumps  furnished  water  to  fill  two  calibrated  barrels,  placed  so 
that  they  could  be  emptied  into  a  lower  barrel,  by  means  of  a  2-inch 
valve  and  pipe  in  each. 

The  suction  of  the  second  pump  was  attached  directly  to  the  lower 
barrel,  and  this  pump  was  used  to  feed  the  boilers. 

The  crude  petroleum  used  for  fuel  during  the  test  was  measured 
in  a  calibrated  barrel,  the  amount  per  hour  being  712  pounds.  The 
cost  of  fuel  oil  delivered  at  plant  was  35  cents  per  barrel  of  42  gallons. 

The  following  day  fuel  oil  wras  measured  for  one  hour  and  fiftv- 
seven  minutes,  the  feed-wTater  heater  being  in  use.  It  was  found 
that  the  consumption  of  oil  per  hour  was  003  pounds.  The  tem- 
perature of  water  entering  boiler  was  200°  F.  instead  of  92°  F.  as 
found  when  heater  wTas  not  used.  The  theoretical  gain  by  using  the 
feed-wTater  heater  is  about  11  per  cent,  while  the  actual  difference 
in  fuel  used  amounted  to  nearly  20  per  cent.  The  discrepancy  is 
accounted  for  by  the  difference  in  the  amount  of  water  present  in 
the  fuel  oil. 

During  the  test  on  July  31  the  amount  of  water  in  the  fuel  oil 
was  sufficient  to  put  out  the  fires  momentarily  on  two  occasions, 
and  to  require  careful  oversight  of  the  oil  burners  to  prevent  irregu- 
larities in  the  amount  of  combustion  and,  consequently,  in  steam 
pressure.  On  the  second  day  the  oil  in  the  supply  tank  had  become 
quite  thoroughly  separated  from  the  water,  the  latter  having  set- 
tled to  the  bottom,  and  the  result  was  that  there  was  no  trouble  with 
the  burners. 

More  will  be  said  on  this  subject  in  comparing  the  results  of  the 
Acadia  plant  (test  Xo.  5)  with  that  of  the  Grand  ('anal  plant  (test 
No.  7).  where  two  boilers  of  the  same  make  were  \\<(h\  under  condi- 
tions that  were  very  similar  as  regards  demands  for  steam.  While 
in  one  case  with  oil  which  had  been  stored  for  some  time  the  best 


21 

results  of  any  of  the  tests  was  made  by  the  boiler,  in  the  other  case 
with  oil  freshly  delivered  to  supply  tanks  and  containing  water  well 
mixed  with  the  crude  petroleum  a  very  bad  showing  for  the  boiler 
resulted. 

The  engine  was  a  simple  condensing  Corliss,  having  cylinder 
diameter  of  21  inches  and  18-inch  stroke  and  rod  3}  inches  in 
diameter. 

In  the  rope  drive  1,850  feet  of  1J  inch  rope  are  used;  there  are 
eighteen  grooves  on  the  fly  wheel,  which  is  16  feet  in  diameter. 

The  sheave  by  which  power  is  transmitted  to  the  pumps  is  located 
between  two  centrifugal  pumps,  each  having  double-suction  pipes  24 
inches  in  diameter. 

The  pumps  are  rated  as  30-inch  pumps,  but  the  lift  was  so  small 
that  the  pumps  each  discharge  through  a  rectangular  opening  into  a 
separate  flume,  having  gradually  expanding  cross  sections.  The 
two  flumes  are  brought  together  at  a  distance  of  about  50  feet  from 
the  pump  into  a  larger  flume,  which  discharges  into  the  canal  beyond 
the  plant. 

During  the  test  indicator  cards  were  taken  at  fifteen-minute  inter- 
vals, and  observations  were  made  of  steam  pressure,  vacuum  gage, 
re  volutions  of  engine  and  pump,  and  of  head  pumped  against. 

At  intervals  of  a  half  hour  water  measurements  were  taken  in 
the  flume,  and  the  temperature  of  water,  oil.  and  air  was  noted. 
The  amount  of  water  and  fuel  oil  used  was  also  carefully  noted. 

The  measurements  of  the  water  discharged  by  the  pumps  was  made 
by  means  of  the  Pitot  tube.  The  discharge  flume  in  which  the  meas- 
urements were  made  Avas  18.75  feet  wide.  The  depth  of  water  varied 
from  about  1.5  feet  to  a  little  over  1.(3  feet.  The  cross  section  was 
divided  into  twenty  rectangles  of  equal  size  and  the  mean  velocity 
obtained  at  the  center  of  each  rectangle,  or,  in  other  words,  the  veloc- 
ity was  observed  at  ten  different  stations  across  the  flume  and  at  two 
different  depths  at  each  station. 

The  efficiency  of  engine,  transmission,  and  pump  is  excellent — in 
fact,  the  best  of  any  of  the  plants  tested  in  1905  in  which  centrifugal 
pumps  are  used.  This  efficiency  had  an  average  value  of  64.2  per  cent. 
If  the  efficiency  of  the  rope  drive  is  assumed  to  be  95  per  cent  and  the 
mechanical  efficiency  of  the  engine  as  90  per  cent,  the  efficiency  of  the 
pump  is  found  to  be  about  75  per  cent. 

The  results  of  the  tests  are  as  follow> : 

Boiler  test  No.  S.  first  relift,  Aooott-Duson   Canal.  .Inly  31,  1905. 

Duration  of  test.  4  hours. 

Total  fuel  oil.  2.886  pounds. 

Average  steam  pressure  by  gage.  65.6  pounds  per  square  inch. 

Average  temperature  of  feed  water.  92°  F. 


22 

Factor  of  evaporation,  1.1566. 

Total  weight  of  water  fed  to  bailer,  28,629  pounds. 

Equivalent  water  evaporated  from  and  at  212°  F..  .*i.*i,  112  pounds. 

Boiler  horsepower,  24< ). 

Average  temperature  of  fuel  oil.  171°  F. 

Average  air  temperature.  1)2°  F. 

Water  apparently  evaporated  per  pound  of  oil.  9.92  pounds. 

Equivalent  evaporation  from  and  at  212°  F.  (not  corrected  for  quality  of 
steam).  11.47  pounds. 

Total  feed  water  (including  steam  used  by  auxiliaries)  per  indicated  horse- 
power-hour. Ml. 2  pounds. 

Engine  and  pump  test.  Abbott-Duion  first  relift. 


PLANT  NO.  4,  ABBOTT-DTJSON  CANAL,   SECOND  RELIFT. 

Located  about  3^  miles  north  of  Egan,  La.,  on  the  main  canal  of 
the  Abbott-Duson  canal  system,  is  the  second  relift.  The  height 
through  which  this  plant  elevates  the  water  varies  with  the  changing 
level  of  the  canals  above  and  below  the  plant.  During  the  test  the 
water  was  raised  from  4.22  to  5.33  feet. 

The  pump  has  a  double  suction  and  vertical  shaft.  The  body  of 
the  pump  is  built  entirely  of  wood,  is  7  feet  square  on  the  inside,  and 
lias  corner  posts  and  cross  timbers  to  which  the  bearings  are  attached. 
The  impeller  of  the  pump  is  42  inches  in  diameter  and  18  inches 
deep.  The  main  thrust  is  taken  by  a  ball  bearing  above  the  driving 
sheave. 

The  boiler  is  a  horizontal  return  tubular,  72  inches  in  diameter  and 
16  feet  in  length.  Water  used  by  the  boiler  was  measured  during  the 
lest  by  means  of  calibrated  barrels.  It  was  then  pumped  direct  to 
the  boiler.    The  plant  contains  a  closed  heater,  but  it  was  not  in  use, 


23 

as  it  had  sprung  a  leak.  The  fuel  was  crude  petroleum.  The  engine 
is  of  the  slide-valve,  noneondensing  type,  having  diameter  of  piston 
of  16  inches  and  20-inch  stroke.  It  is  connected  to  the  pump  by 
means  of  a  14-inch  rope.  Total  length  of  rope.  440  feet.  There  are 
four  grooves  in  the  two  wheels.  Diameter  of  sheave  on  engine.  7 
feet  6  inches;  on  pump.  -16  inches.  This  rope  drive  is  badly  designed, 
as  excessive  weight  is  required  to  prevent  slipping.  Ropes  on  this 
drive  have  very  short  lives,  because  of  the  excessive  tension  and  the 
wear  due  to  slipping.  A  new  rope  had  been  put  on  just  previous  to 
starting  the  test.  The  stiffness  of  this  rope  probably  detracted  from 
the  efficiency  of  transmission. 

During  the  test  it  was  found  that  the  rope  was  slipping  on  the 
pump  sheave,  which  had  become  very  hot.  and  even  in  a  few  hours 
the  rope  showed  unmistakable  signs  of  wear.  Slipping  was  pre- 
vented in  part  by  increasing  the  weights  on  the  take-up  and  so 
increasing  the  tension  of  the  ropes.  Under  these  conditions  more 
power  is  required  to  wedge  the  rope  into  the  grooves  and  to  pull  it 
out  as  it  leaves  the  sheave  than  would  be  required  in  a  well-designed 
drive.  The  friction  due  to  the  increased  pull  on  engine  and  pump 
bearings  is  also  unfavorable  to  a  high  efficiency.  There  ought  to  have 
been  a  greater  number  of  ropes  used. 

The  combined  efficiency  of  engine,  transmission,  and  pump  was 
found  to  be  rather  low,  averaging  a  little  less  than  27  per  cent.  The 
results  show  a  tendency  to  increase  as  the  height  increased  through 
which  the  water  was  lifted.  There  is  good  reason  for  believing  that 
the  efficiency  of  this  type  of  pump  is  greater  under  more  favorable 
conditions.     Tests  made  elsewhere  also  bear  out  this  statement. 

The  measurements  of  the  water  pumped  were  made  in  the  flume 
about  30  feet  from  the  pump,  where  the  water  ran  smoothly  and 
measurements  could  be  made  with  the  usual  accuracy. 

A  current  meter  was  used,  and  traverses  were  made  at  two  different 
depths.  The  width  of  flume  was  14.9  feet,  and  the  depth  varied  from 
about  1.1  feet  to  1.5  feet. 

The  results  of  the  test  are  as  follows : 

Boiler  test  No.   '{.  second  relift.  Abbott-Duson  Canal,  August  UK  1905. 

Duration  of  test.  -1  hours. 

Total  fuel  oil.  1.507  pounds. 

Average  steam  pressure  by  gage.  81.2  pounds  per  square  inch. 

Average  temperature  of  feed  water.  87.9°  F. 

Factor  of  evaporation.  1.164. 

Total  weight  of  water  fed  to  boiler,  17,369  pounds. 

Equivalent  water  evaporated  from  aud  at  212°  F..  20.218  pounds. 

Boiler  horsepower.  147. 

Average  temperature  of  fuel  oil,  89°  F. 


24 

Average  air  temperature,  97°  F. 

Water  apparently  evaporated  ]»<t  pound  of  oil,  11.08  pounds. 

Equivalent  evaporation  from  and  m  212°  F.  (not  corrected  for  quality  oft 
steam  ».  12.90  pounds. 

Total  feed  water  (including  steam  used  by  auxiliaries)  per  indicated  horse- 
power-hour, •"»•".<*>  pounds. 


Engine  and  />n>u/>  test,  second  relift,  &bbott-Duson  ('ana, 


Steam 
pres- 
sure. 

He  volu- 
tions 
per 

minute 
of  en- 
gine. 

indicated  horsepower. 

Revolu- 
tions 
per 

minute 
of 

pump. 

Head. 

I»i<- 
charge. 

Useful 
water 
horse- 
power. 

Time. 

Head. 

(rank. 

Total. 

Effi- 
ciency* 

11  30          

Pounds. 

80 
85 
si 
71 
82 
92 
80 
79 
85 
82 
81 
80 
80 
80 
80 
80 
80 

103.5 

106 

106 

103 

107 

119 

117 

116 

117 

110 

lid.:. 

I(I7.;> 

105 

102 

100 

1U2.5 

103 

59.3 
til. 6 
68.  3 
61.0 
63.9 
68.1 
64.3 
60.0 
62.8 
62.0 
62.9 
59.6 
60.2 
58.  0 

56.  2 
61.5 

58.  l 

59.  7 
66.5 
56.1 
62.  6 
66.9 
63.8 
58.5 
61.8 
61.3 
CO.  7 
57.9 
59.1 

57.  6 

55.  3 
57. 1 

60.  0 

117. -1 

121.3 

134.8 

117.1 

126.5 

135 

128.1 

118.5 

121..; 

12:;.  3 
123.  6 
117.5 
119.3 
116.5 
111.5 
115.6 
121.5 

194 

198 
198 
185 
196 
212 
190 
214 
215 
107 
195 
197 
104 
186 
196 
196 
196 

Feet. 

1.22 
1.  25 
4.33 

4.  55 
1.55 
4.56 
L  58 
4.63 
4.69 
1.75 
L83 
1.87 
4.96 
5.(15 

5.  1  1 
5. 15 
5.  33 

Cu.  ft. 

per  .-v. 

Per 

i-i  nt. 

11    15            

64.4 

65.1 

65.  6 

62.  1 

62.  2 

63 

59.9 

59.8 

64.5 

61.5 

60.1 
58.2 

30.9 
31.9 
33.7 
32. 1 
32.  1 
32.6 
31.4 
31.7 
34.  7 
33.6 
32.2 
33.8 
33.3 

25.  5 

12  m 

23.7 

1"  15      

28.  8 

1"  30 

25.  1 

12  15 

23  8 

1.00 

"5.  1 

1.15 

2i  i.  5 

1.30 

25.4 

1.45 

28.  1 

2.00 

27.  2 

2  r> 

27  4 

2.30     . 

28  3 

•'   15 

28.  6 

:;  mi 

3.15... 

60.2 
59.2 

35. 1 

35.  7 

30.4 

3.30 

20.  4 

81.2 

107.9 

121.9 

197.6 

4.73 

61.6 

33.0 

26.9 

PLANT   NO.    5,   ACADIA   CANAL. 

The  pumping  plant  of  the  Acadia  Canal  is  located  about  '2\  miles 
west  of  Iota,  La.  It  receives  water  from  Bayou  des  Cannes  through 
a  dredged  canal  several  hundred  feet  long.  This  plant  furnished 
water  for  7.000  acres  of  rice  in  1895,  of  which  4,000  acres  were  beyond 
the  relift.  As  already  stated,  the  Abbott-Puson  ami  the  Acadia 
canals  are  joined  together.  The  pumps  discharge  the  water  into 
a  flume  having  an  inside  width  of  about  15  feet.  The  depth  of  water 
in  this  Hume  during  the  test  was  a  little  less  than  '2  feet.  This  flume 
is  supported  by  a  wooden  framework;  the  distance  from  the  surface 
of  the  around  to  the  bottom  of  the  flume  is  as  great  as  30  to  35  feet 
in  some  places.  The  length  of  this  flume  is  1.800  feet.  The  flume 
had  been  in  use  for  several  years,  and  although  the  leakage  was  small, 
the  supporting  timbers  had  rotted  badly.  This  was  shown  by  an 
occurrence  which  happened  some  (wo  or  three  weeks  after  the  test 
was  made.  One  .day  about  10  a.  m..  while  the  plant  was  running  as 
usual,  a  length  of  about  1.000  feet  of  Hume  fell  without  the  least 
warning.  The  work  of  restoration  was  begun  promptly,  and  in  about 
two  weeks  the  plant  was  again  in  operation. 

The  boiler  equipment  consists  of  two  water  tube  boilers,  rated  by 
their  builders  at  300  horsepower  each.      The  \\^(\  water  for  the  boilers 


25 

flows  from  the  flume  to  two  open  heaters,  each  of  which  is  supplied 
with  a  pump  that  takes  the  hot  water  from  the  heater  and  pumps  it 
into  the  boiler.  The  heaters  receive  the  exhaust  from  these  two 
boiler  feed  pumps  and  from  the  two  condenser  pumps. 

In  order  to  make  a  test  changes  had  to  be  made  in  the  piping  and 
the  plant  operated  as  follows :  The  water  flowed  to  one  heater  and 
was  taken  from  heater  and  furnished  to  the  6-inch  Cipolletti  weir, 
where  it  was  measured.  The  other  feed  pump  then  delivered  the 
water  to  the  boiler.  By  this  method  only  one  heater  was  used  during 
the  test.  It  received  the  exhaust  of  both  vacuum  pumps  and  of  both 
boiler  feed  pumps.  The  water  was  heated  from  a  temperature  of 
about  88°  F.  to  172°  F. 

The  fuel  oil  was  measured  in  a  calibrated  barrel. 

The  results  of  the  boiler  tests  are  the  best  of  all  the  boilers  tested; 
the  ratio  of  weiffht  of  water  from  and  at  21-2°  F.  to  the  weight  of  fuel 
oil  was  15.00.  This  result  has  been  surpassed  in  some  cases  where  boilers 
have  been  tested  elsewhere  with  crude  oil  as  a  fuel.  The  result  is, 
however,  above  the  average  and  represents  good  conditions.  An  at- 
tempt was  made  during  the  next  day  to  measure  the  fuel  oil  used  for 
a  run  under  normal  conditions,  but  the  breakdown  of  a  vacuum 
pump  and  other  abnormal  conditions  rendered  the  result  useless. 

Two  simple  condensing,  heavy-duty  Corliss  engines  furnish  the 
power  to  drive  the  pumps.  The  diameter  of  cylinder  of  these  engines 
is  22  inches  and  the  stroke  42  inches.  The  piston  rods  are  3J|  inches 
in  diameter.  The  parts  of  these  engines  are  proportioned  much 
heavier  than  the  ordinary  Corliss.  Each  is  provided  with  a  jet 
condenser.  Diameter  of  steam  and  air  cylinders.  12  and  18  inches, 
respectively,  and  length  of  stroke  18  inches. 

Rope  tran -mission  is  used.  The  fly  wheels  of  the  engines  are  14 
feet  and  the  sheaves  on  the  pump  shafts  3  feet  6  inches  in  diameter. 
There  are  15  grooves  for  14-inch  rope.  The  length  of  rope  required 
in  each  case  is  1.454  feet. 

Each  engine  drives  two  horizontal-shaft  centrifugal  pumps  having 
discharge  pipes  18  inches  in  diameter  and  suction  pipes  20  inches  in 
diameter. 

The  pumps  are  identical  with  those  of  the  Abbott-Duson  plant, 
previously  described,  and  the  plant  of  the  Abbott  Brother-,  to  be  de- 
scribed later.  The  head  through  which  the  water  was  lifted  was 
slightly  over  30  feet,  while  that  at  Abbott  Brothers*  lower  farm  was 
only  about  half  this  amount  and  at  the  Abbott-Duson  a  little  more 
than  one-half.  The  pumps  are  provided  with  flap  valves  in  suction 
pipes. 

The  mean  velocity  of  water  as  it  is  discharged  from  the  elbow-  at 
the  end  of  the  discharge  pipe  and  into  the  flume  was  13.10  feet  per 


26 

second,  corresponding  to  a  velocity  head  of  2.87  feet.  Comparing 
the  velocities  and  efficiencies  with  those  found  at  the  Abbott-Duson, 
it  will  be  seen  that  the  velocity  is  lower  in  this  case  and  the  efficiency 
higher. 

The  results  of  the  tests  are  given  below  : 

Boiler  test  No.  5,  Acadia  plant.  August  ■'>.  1905. 

Duration  of  test.  4.22  hours. 

Total  fuel  oil.  5.(541  pounds. 

Average  steam  pressure  by  gage,  106.7  pounds  per  square  inch. 

Average  temperature  of  feed  water.  171.7°  F. 

Factor  of  evaporation.  1.083. 

Total  weight  of  water  fed  to  hoiler,  78,610  pounds. 

Equivalent  water  evaporated  from  and  at  212°  F.,  8r>,135  pounds. 

Boiler  horsepower.  585. 

Average  temperature  of  fuel  oil,  85°  F. 

Average  air  temperature,  102°  F. 

Water  apparently  evaporated  per  pound  of  oil.  13.93  pounds. 

Equivalent  evaporation  from  and  at  212°  F.  (not  corrected  for  quality  of 
steam).  15.09  pounds. 

Total  feed  water  (including  steam  used  by  auxiliaries)  per  indicated  horse- 
power-hpur,  28.7  pounds. 

Engine  and  pump  text.  Acadia   plant. 


Steam  pressure. 

Vacuum  gages. 

Revolutions  per    ' 
minute  of  engines. 

IncMi-ated  horsepower. 

Time. 

Gage 
No.  1. 

Gage 
No.  2 

No.  1. 

No.  2. 

No.  1. 

No.  2. 

Engine  No. 

1. 

Head.        Crank. 

Total. 

Pounds. 

Pounds. 

Inch's. 

Inches 

130 

107 

108 

16.7 

23 

80.5 

81 

165.1 

153  9 

319  0 

2.rx> 

108 

109 

19.5 

23.2 

80.5 

81 

164.2 

161.9 

326.1 

2.30 

110 

112 

19.7 

23 

81 

81.5  | 

164.9 

161.2 

326. 1 

3.00 

105 

107 

19 

23 

80.5 

81 

165.6  s         157.2 

322.8 

3.30 

109 

111 

19 

23 

81 

81 

169  6  !         160.2 

329.8 

4.00 

102 

104 

19 

23 

SO.  5 

81 

167.7  |         155.2 

322.9 

4.30 

101 

103 

19 

22  8 

80.5 

81 

163.0,         161.1 

324. 1 

5.00 

102 

104 

19 

22  8 

80.5 

81 

163  0           160.5 

323.  5 

5.30 

108 

110 

20 

22.5 

.80.5 

81 

166.9           166.2 

382. 1 

80.6 

81 

325.3 





27 

PLANT    NO.    6,    ACADIA    RELIFT. 

About  a  mile  north  of  Iota.  La.,  on  the  main  Acadia  Canal,  is  lo- 
cated the  Acadia  relift.  The  equipment  of  this  plant  includes  two 
horizontal  return  tubular  boilers  7:2  inches  in  diameter  by  IS  feet 
in  length,  each  containing  seventy-two  4-inch  tubes. 

Fuel  oil  is  used.  The  boilers  are  fed  by  means  of  two  direct  acting 
steam  pumps.  The  first  has  its  steam  cylinders  4J  inches  in  diameter 
<ind  water  cylinders  3J  inches  in  diameter:  stroke  4  inches.  This 
pump  takes  water  from  the  canal  and  furnishes  it  to  the  open  heater. 

The  second  has  its  steam  cylinder  6  inches  in  diameter  and  water 
cylinder  4  inches  in  diameter.  The  stroke  is  6  inches.  This  pump 
takes  the  water  from  the  heater  and  pumps  it  into  the  boiler.  Both 
pumps  and  the  engine  exhaust  into  the  heater.  During  the  test  the 
water  in  the  canal  was  found  to  have  an  average  temperature  of 
88°  F..  while  the  water  coming  from  the  heater  had  an  average 
temperature  of  194  c  F. 

The  engine  is  a  simple  noncondensing  Corliss,  having  piston 
diameter  of  22  inches  and  stroke  of  42  inches.  The  rod  is  3^§  inches 
in  diameter. 

Kope  transmission  is  used.  There  are  10  grooves  in  the  engine 
fly  wheel  and  on  the  sheave  of  pump ;  958  feet  of  H-ineh  rope  is  used. 

The  pump  is  similar  to  those  at  the  Abbott-Duson  first  relift.  It 
is  nominally  a  36-inch  pump,  having  two  suction  pipes  24  inches  in 
diameter.  The  pump  discharges  through  a  square  opening  into  a 
gradually  expanding  flume. 

It  was  found  practically  impossible  to  make  necessary  changes  in 
the  piping  to  make  water  measurements  for  a  complete  boiler  test. 
Fuel  oil  was  measured  by  means  of  a  calibrated  barrel  and  the  only 
omis>ion  was  in  the  amount  of  water  furnished  the  boiler. 

The  discharge  from  the  pump  was  measured  in  the  flume  about  50 
feet  from  the  pump.  At  this  place  the  flume  had  a  uniform  cross 
section  and  was  found  to  be  9.27  feet  wide  and  the  depth  about  1.8 
feet. 

A  current  meter  was  used  and  the  cross  section  slowly  traversed  at 
three  different  depths  to  obtain  the  mean  velocity  in  all  but  two 
observations,  when  the  Pitot  tube  was  used.  These  observations  were 
at  1.15  and  2.15  p.  m.  With  the  latter  instrument  the  velocity  was 
observed  at  ten  different  stations  across  the  flume  and  at  three  dif- 
ferent depths  in  the  first  and  at  two  different  depths  in  the  second. 

The  arrangement  of  the  plant  is  similar  to  that  of  the  Abbott- 
Duson  first  relift.  except  that  there  is  only  one  engine  and  one  pump 
instead  of  one  engine  and  two  pumps,  as  in  the  plant  referred  to. 
There  was  one  engine  and  a  rope  drive  in  each  case.  Both  the  engine 
and  the  rope  drive  were  larger  in  the  case  where  two  pumps  were 


28 

used,  but  the  loss  duo  to  friction  in  the  two  cases  probably  was  not 
\er\  different.  The  height  through  which  the  water  was  lifted  was 
a  little  greater  with  the  two  pumps  than  with  the  single  pump  of 
the  Acadia  relift,  and  this  probably  had  some  effect  on  efficiency. 

Partial  boiler  test,  Acadia  r<  lift. 

I  Miration  of  test.  4.4."»  hours. 

Total  fuel  oil.  1,567  pounds. 

Average  steam  pressure  by  gage,  70.4  pounds  per  square  inch. 

Average  temperature  of  feed  water.  1!>4°  F. 

Average  temperature  of  fuel  oil.  S7°  F. 

Average  temperature  of  air,  95°  F. 

Engine  and  pump,  test,  Acadia  relift. 


Steam 
pressure. 

Revolu- 

Indicated horsepower. 

Revolu- 
tions per 
minute  of 

pump. 

Head. 

Dis- 
charge. 

Useful 
water 
horse- 
power. 

Time. 

tions  per 

minute  of 

engine. 

Head. 

Crank. 

Total. 

Effi- 
ciency. 

11.15 

Pounds. 
80 
80 

79 
78 
80 
80 
79 
78 
81 

68.5 
69.5 

68.7 

68 

69 

68.5 

68.7 

68 

70 

69.5 
73.9 
70.8 
65.8 
70.7 
68.8 
71.  6 
67.6 
74.2 

66.5 
70.9 

68.6 
62.8 
67.7 
68.0 
67.8 
65.1 
69.1 

136.0 
144.8 
139.4 
128.6 
138.4 
13<i.  8 
139.4 
132.7 
143.3 

117 
119 
117 
115 
118 
118 
117 
116 
118 

Feet. 

Cu.  ft. 
per  sec. 

]'<r 

<<  i:t. 

11.45 

12.15 

12.45 

1.15 

1.45 

2.15 

2.45 

3.15 

9.53 
9.55 
9.48 
9.50 
9.51 
9.45 
9.46 
9.45 

70.  (i 
71.1 
69.6 
73.7 
67.8 
75.0 
73.0 
70.2 

76.1 
70.  7 

74.6 
79,1 
72.8 
80.1 
78.0 
74.9 

52.  C) 
55.0 
58.0 
57.1 
53. 2 
57.5 
58.7 
52.3 

Mean. 

79.4 

68.8 

137.7 

117.2 

9.49 

71.4 

76.5 

55.6 

PLANT  NO.   7,   GRAND  CANAL,   OLD  PLANT. 

The  pumping  plant  of  the  Grand  Canal  is  located  on  Bayou  Nez 
Pique  about  7  miles  west  of  Iota,  La.  Bayou  Nez  Pique  and  the  Mer- 
mentau  River  from  the  western  boundary  of  Acadia  Parish,  dividing- 
it  from  Calcasieu  Parish. 

Hi  is  canal  watered  about  6,100  acres  in  1905,  although  it  has  in  pre- 
vious years  watered  as  many  as  9,200  acres  of  rice.  There  are  17 
miles  of  main  canals  and  13  miles  of  laterals. 

The  two  boilers  used  in  this  plant  are  of  the  water-tube  type,  of  the 
same  make  as  those  of  the  Acadia  plant.  They  have  a  nominal 
capacity  of  250  horsepower  each. 

An  open  heater  was  used.  Water  flowed  from  the  flume  to  this 
heater  and  was  then  pumped  to  the  weir  tank,  where  the  amount  was 
measured  by  means  of  the  6-ihch  Cipolletti  weir  used  in  the  tests  of 
the  Abbott-Duson  and  the  Acadia  plants.  Another  pump  then 
forced  the  water  into  the  boilers.  The  heater  receives  the  exhaust 
from  i'rvd  pumps  and  condenser  pump. 

The  engine  is  a  simple  condensing  Corliss  with  piston  diameter  of 
28  inches  and  stroke  of  48  inches.     The  piston  rod   is  4|  inches   in 


29 

diameter.  There  is  a  jet  condenser  having  a  vacuum  pump  with 
diameter  of  steam  C37linder  18  inches,  diameter  of  air  cylinder  24 
inches,  and  24-inch  stroke. 

Rope  transmission  is  used.  The  fly  wheel  is  20  feet  in  diameter  and 
has  fifteen  grooves  for  1^-inch  rope.  The  sheave  on  the  pump  shaft 
is  5.35  feet  in  diameter. 

There  are  two  horizontal  shaft  centrifugal  pumps,  having  single 
suction  pipes  24  inches  in  diameter;  the  pumps  have  cored  passages, 
so  that  the  water  divides  and  enters  the  eye  of  the  pump  on  both 
sides.  The  discharge  pipes  are  24  inches  in  diameter  at  the  pumps 
and  are  enlarged  just  above  the  pumps  to  30  inches  in  diameter. 
Pump  Xo.  1  discharged  directly  into  the  bottom  of  the  flume,  while 
pump  Xo.  2  had  a  30-inch  elbow  at  the  top  and  discharged  into  the 
end  of  the  flume. 

The  measurements  of  the  amount  of  water  discharged  were  made 
in  the  flume  about  150  feet  from  the  pumps.  The  flume  was  19.2 
feet  wide  and  the  depth  varied  from  about  .1.25  feet  to  about  1.4  feet 
during  the  various  observations. 

The  current  meter  was  used  and  traverses  were  slowly  made  at  two 
different  depths. 

On  each  side  of  the  sheave  driving  the  pumps  is  a  flanged  coupling, 
by  means  of  which  either  pump,  or  both,  may  be  connected  to  the 
driving  shaft. 

During  the  forenoon  a  test  was  made  of  pump  Xo.  1,  lasting  two 
hours. 

Beginning  at  2.30  p.  m.  a  test  was  run  for  four  hours,  using  both 
pumps.     During  this  time  the  boiler  test  was  made. 

At  7  p.  m.  two  observations  were  made,  using  pump  Xo.  2  only. 

The  crude  oil  used  during  this  test  was  pumped  into  the  storage 
tank  only  a  short  time  previous  to  the  test.  It  was  from  the  Jen- 
nings field,  but  was  obtained  from  a  different  firm  from  that  supply- 
ing the  fuel  for  the  Acadia  plant,  the  test  of  which  has  already  been 
described.  The  oil  used  at  the  Grand  Canal  contained  quite  a  quan- 
tity of  salt  water,  and  considerable  trouble  had  occurred  from  this 
cause  during  operations  previous  to  the  test. 

No  special  trouble  was  had  during  the  test  from  the  salt  water, 
but  the  bad  effect  of  using  fuel  containing  water  is  plainly  seen  by  a 
comparison  of  the  results  of  the  boiler  tests  of  this  plant  with  that 
of  the  Acadia  plant,  where  with  the  same  make  of  boilers  the  best 
result  of  any  the  boilers  tested  was  obtained,  while  at  the  Grand 
Canal  the  results  were  the  worst. 

The  same  methods  were  used  in  these  two  tests  and  the  results  are 
equally  reliable. 

Reports  from  the  Jennings  field  show  that  the  percentage  by  vol- 
ume of  water  present  in  the  oil  varies  from  almost  zero  to  13  per  cent. 


30 

If  sufficient  time  is  allowed,  water  will  settle  to  the  bottom  and  can 
be  drawn  off'.     Commercial  crude  oil  is  supposed  to  contain  but  2  per- 
cent of  water,  but  this  amount  is  sometimes  exceeded. 
The  results  of  the  tests  are  as  follows : 

Boiler  test.  Grand  Canal,  August  12.  1905. 


Duration  of  test,  4.07  hours. 

Total  fuel  used,  5,328  pounds. 

Average  steam  pressure  by  gage,  128.8  pounds  per  square  inch. 

Average  temperature  of  feed  water,  154.9°  F. 

Factor  of  evaporation,  1.105. 

Total  weight  of  water  fed  to  boiler,  52.873  pounds. 

Equivalent  water  evaporated  from  and  at  212°  F.,  58,425  pounds. 

Boiler  horsepower,  41(5. 

Average  temperature  of  fuel  oil,  86°  F. 

Average  air  temperature,  92°  F. 

Water  apparently  evaporated  per  pound  of  oil,  9.92  pounds. 

Equivalent  evaporation  from  and  at  212°  F.  (not  corrected  for  quality  of 
steam),  10.96  pounds. 

Total  feed  water  (including  steam  used  by  auxiliaries)  per  indicated  horse- 
power-hour, 25.8  pounds. 


Engine  and  pump  tests,  Grand  Canal. 


Steam 
pres- 
sure. 

Vacu- 
um 
gage- 

Revo- 
lutions 

per 
minute 
of  en- 
gine. 

Indicated  horsepower,  j  ftevo- 

Head. 

Dis- 
charge. 

Useful 
water 
horse- 
power. 

Time. 

Uead. 

Crank. 

j     Per 
Total.    mi™te 
pump. 

Effi- 
ciency. 

2.30 

Lbs. 

128 

129 

132 

127 

129 

130 

129 

128 

127 

Inches. 
25.5 
25.8 
25.8 
25.7 
25.7 
25.8 
25.8 
25.9 
25.8 

62.5 
62.5 
63.0 
62.2 
62.7 
62.5 
62.5 
62.8 
62.5 

244.2 
242.5 
254.5 
241.5 
247.0 
247.0 
247.5 
247.8 
248.0 

255.9 
259.0 
263.5 
249.7 
259.5 
255.2 
261.2 
258.5 
252.8 

500.1  '     234 
501.5       234 
518.0       236 

491.2  233 
506.5       231 

502.2  234 

508.7  231 

506.3  235 

500.8  231 

Feet. 
28.7 
28.7 
28.7 
28.7 
28.7 
28.7 
28.7 
28.7 
28.7 

Cu.ft.per 

second. 

Per 
cent. 

3.00 

3.30 

68.3 

221.6           44.2 

4.00 

4.30 

.5.00 

5.30 

6.00 

6.30 

65.6 
68.7 
69.4 
66.7 
70.6 
71.4 

212. 8           43.3 
223.0           44.0 
225.2           44. S 

216.4  42.5 
229.2           45.3 

231.5  46.2 

Mean. 

128.8         2K-8 

62.6 

503.9       234.2 

28.7 

68.7 

222.8           -11  3 

TEST  OF  PUMP  NO.  1. 


10.1."). 
10.3.5  . 
11.00. 
11.25. 
11.45. 
12  ..  . 
12.15. 


118 
121 
118 
118 
118 
119 
120 


25. 1 
25.2 
25.0 
24.6 
25.2 
25.6 
25.9 


70.0 
70.0 
69.5 
72.8 
67.5 
63.0 
60.0 


260.0 
259.8 
258.0 
301.0 
239. 8 
162.8 
104.2 


258. 1 
260.3 
252.0 
294.5 
23.5.0 
159.0 
110.1 


518. 1 
.520. 1 
510.0 
595.5 
474.8 
321.3 
214.3 


262 
262 
260 
272 
2.53 
236 
224 


29. 13 
29.13 
29..  13 

29.38 
29.10 
28.68 
28.57 


68. 26 
67.21 
69.30 
74.25 
63.67 
46.46 
24.66 


224.8 
221.4 
228.3 
246.6 
209.5 
150.6 
79.6 


43.4 
42.5 
44.8 
41.4 
44.1 
46.8 
37.2 


TEST  OF  PUMP  NO.  2. 


7.00. 
7.15 


122 
120 


25.5 
25.0 


65.0 
68.5 


192.5 

23S..5 


185.8 
236.5 


378.3 
475.0 


243 
256 


28.85 
28.85 


49.75 
65. 10 


162.3 
212.3 


42.9 
44.7 


31 

PLANT  NO.  8,  GRAND  CANAL,  NEW  PLANT. 

Between  the  pumping  seasons  of  1905  and  1906  extensive  changes 
were  made  in  the  equipment  of  the  pumping  plant  of  the  Grand 
Canal.  The  pumps  were  removed  and  new  ones,  also  of  the  cen- 
trifugal type,  were  installed.  The  boilers  and  the  simple  condensing 
Corliss  engine  were  retained,  but  the  fly  wheel  20  feet  in  diameter 
was  replaced  by  another  of  approximately  14  feet  in  diamenter.  The 
rope  drive  connecting  this  engine  to  one  of  the  pumps  consists  of  six- 
teen strands  of  If -inch  rope. 

A  new  water  tube  boiler,  a  tandem  compound  Corliss  engine,  and 
another  pump  were  installed.  The  condenser  used  with  the  new 
engine  is  of  the  jet  type;  size  of  pump,  14  by  20  by  24  inches.  It 
makes  about  28  double  strokes  per  minute.  The  boiler  feed  pump 
has  dimensions  8  by  5  by  14  inches  and  makes  about  9^  double  strokes 
per  minute.  These  outfits  are  complete  and  separate  pumping  plants, 
although  located  in  the  same  building. 

On  September  20,  1906,  a  test  was  made  to  determine  the  mechan- 
ical efficiency  of  the  simple  engine  rope  drive  and  pump.  This  test 
lasted  from  3.30  to  6;20  p.  m.  The  efficiency  when  operating  at 
proper  speed  averaged  69.8  per  cent — quite  a  contrast  to  the  results 
obtained  in  1905. 

On  September  21,  1906,  a  test  was  made  of  the  new  pumping  equip- 
ment already  referred  to.  This  test  lasted  only  three  hours  and  forty- 
three  minutes.  Fuel  consumption  during  that  time  was  extremely 
regular,  the  water  level  of  the  boiler  was  fairly  constant,  and  all  con- 
ditions favorable  for  accurate  results.  However,  a  longer  test  would 
in  all  probability  give  a  greater  degree  of  accuracy,  especially  in  the 
water  evaporated  by  the  boiler  and  used  as  steam  by  the  whole  plant. 
As  the  test  was  made  late  in  the  irrigating  season  there  was  very  little 
demand  for  irrigation  water,  and  when  the  canal  was  filled  to  the 
danger  line  the  pumps  had  to  be  stopped. 

During  the  test  fuel  oil  was  carefully  measured  in  a  calibrated 
barrel.  The  heat  value  of  the  fuel  oil  was  determined  by  means  of  a 
Parr  calorimeter  and  found  to  be  17,834  British  thermal  units  per 
pound,  the  lowest  heat  value  the  writer  has  ever  found  in  an  oil  from 
the  Jennings  field.  No  water  was  present  in  the  oil.  Boiler  feed 
water  Avas  measured  by  means  of  a  6-inch  Cipolletti  weir,  so  arranged 
that  the  heater  could  be  used  during  the  test. 

The  steam-engine  indicators  used  in  both  these  tests  had  been  cali- 
brated just  previous  to  the  test.  Revolutions  of  the  engine  in  each 
case  were  determined  by  means  of  a  continuous  counter,  read  at  inter- 
vals of  five  minutes.  The  average  number  of  revolutions  obtained 
from  these  readings  was  used  in  computing  indicated  horsepower. 
Revolutions  of  the  pump  were  obtained  from  the  known  ratio  of 
pitch  diameter  of  engine  and  pump  sheaves. 


32 

Water  measurements  wore  made  with  the  current  meter.  The 
flume  which  conducts  the  water  from  the  discharge  to  the  canal  is 
L9*2  feet  in  width  at  the  point  where  the  water  measurements  were 
made. 

The  current  meter  was  slowly  moved  across  the  flume  at  three  dif- 
ferent depths,  the  direction  of  movement  then  reversed,  and  the  path 
retraced  in  an  opposite  direction.  On  account  of  the  unusual  width 
of  Hume  it  was  found  necessary  to  correct  the  current  meter  reading's 
for  the  component  of  motion  at  right  angles  to  the  axis  of  the  flume 
in  each  case. 

The  height  through  which  the  water  was  lifted  was  carefully  ob- 
tained by  means  of  a  tape  that  had  been  compared  with  a  steel  tape. 

The  average  mechanical  efficiencies  of  engine,  pump,  and  rope 
drive  in  the  two  eases  agree  remarkably  well.  The  average  in  the 
case  of  the  simple  engine  was  (uA  and  in  case  of  the  compound  G9  per 
cent  for  observations  where  the  proper  speed  was  maintained. 

The  centrifugal  pumps  show  a  remarkably  high  efficiency  for 
a  pump  of  that  type.  Their  excellence  is  primarily  due  to  good 
design,  but  one  other  cause  is  worthy  of  note.  The  double  suction 
pipes  enlarge  from  24  inches  near  pump  to  34  inches  at  a  distance 
of  about  4  feet  from  the  flange  of  pump:  again  at  the  lower  end  of 
the  suction  pipes  there  is  a  conical  frustrum  0  feet  long,  with  a 
diameter  of  42  inches  at  intake.  The  vertical  discharge  pipes  in  each 
case  are  enlarged  to  42  inches  a  short  distance  above  the  pumps,  and 
just  below  where  they  enter  the  bottom  of  the  flume  they  are  enlarged 
in  the  last  5  feet,  changing  the  cross  section  from  a  circular  section 
42  inches  in  diameter  to  a  section  51  inches  square  at  entrance  to 
flume.  Enlargement  of  suction  pipe  reduces  the  velocity  of  the 
entering  water  and  reduces  the  entrance  loss,  while  the  enlarged  dis- 
charge pipe  reduces  the  velocity  of  the  water  discharged  and  conse- 
quently the  "  velocity  head  "  lost  at  entrance  to  flume. 

The  results  of  the  test  are  as  follows : 

Holler  text,   Qrmd  Canal,  September  21,  1906. 

Duration  of  test,  3.717  hours. 

Total  fuel  oil  used.  2.47<>  pounds. 

Average  steam   pressure  by  gage.   153,4  pounds. 

Average  temperature  of  feed  water,  188.5°  F. 

Factor  of  evaporation,   1.07-1. 

Total  weight  of  water  U'i\  to  boiler.  2N.P44  pounds. 

Equivalent  water  evaporator]  from  and  at  212°  F..  81,086  pounds 

Boiler  horsepower,  242.2. 

Water  apparently  evaporated   per  pound  of  oil,    11. bP  pounds. 

Equivalenl  evaporation  from  and  at  212°  F.  (not  corrected  for  quality  of 
steam  ».   12.56  pounds. 

Total  feed  water  (including  steam  used  by  auxiliaries)  per  indicated  horse- 
power hour,   17.7  pounds. 


33 

Test  of  compound  engine  and  pump,  Grand  Canal,  September  21,  1906. 


Pressures. 


Revolutions  per  min- 
ute of — 


Indicated  horse- 
power. 


— 
g 

Near 
engine. 

Boiler. 

Receiver. 

Vacuum. 

Engine. 

Pump. 

High. 

rf 

z 

Head.          Crank. 

, 

11.46 

148 

148 

18 

25 

79 

169. 4 ; 

103.  5                 89.  3 

2 

1.15 

150 

156 

8 

25.2 

74  8 

160.4 

111 

93.4 

3 

1.45 

145 

151 

8 

25.1 

78.1 

167.  5 

128.6 

106.3 

4» 

2.15 

149 

155 

9 

25 

78.7 

168.7 

135.6 

108.9 

5 

2.45 

145 

151 

8.7 

25 

78.5 

168.3 

129.3 

108.6 

6 

3.15 

148 

154 

9 

25.1 

78.6 

168.5 

127.8 

108.8 

7 

3.45 

149 

155 

7.5 

25 

78.5 

168.3 

134  2 

113.4 

*  1 

4.15 

147 

153 

7.6 

24.9 

78.3 

167.9 

132.3 

111.1 

^ 

4  45 

146 

152 

7.3 

24.8 

78.6 

168.5 

133.6  ]              115.8 

10 

5.06 
Mean 

86.75 

186 

204.2  1              168.9 

79.0 

169.3 

1 

Time. 

Indicated  horsepower. 

Discharge 

Gallons  per 

Head 

Useful 
water 

Efficiencv, 

i 

Low. 

engine 

= 

Total. 

per  second. 

minute. 

horse- 
power. 

drive  and 

z 

Head.       Crank. 

pump. 

Cubic  feet. 

. 

Per  cent. 

1 

11.46 

108.4          125.8 

427 

79.7 

35,780 

31.47 

284 

66. 5 

2 

1.15 

80.7  •         91.2 

376.3 

66.2 

29. 720 

31.49 

235. 9 

62.7 

3 

1.45 

97.9  '        108 

440.8 

86.1 

38, 620 

31.56 

307.1 

69.7 

4 

2.15 

97. 1           109. 3 

450.9 

88.4 

39,650 

31.57 

315.7 

70 

5 

2.45 

98.2           105.7 

441.8 

86.9 

39,000 

31.65 

311.2 

70.5 

6 

3.15 

96.7 

106.6 

439.9 

85.6 

38,430 

31.67 

306.8 

69.8 

7 

3.45 

93.8 

101.1 

442.5 

82.6 

37,090 

31.70 

296.4 

67 

s 

4.15 

86.8 

96 

426.2 

81.9 

36,  760 

31.74 

294.1 

69 

9 

4.45 

89.2 

98.4 

437 

83.6 

37, 530 

31.75 

300.3 

68.7 

10 

5.06 
Mean 

130.1 

137.3 

640.5 

115.5 

51, 870 

31.87 

416.7 

65 



452.3 

85.65 

38,445 

31.66 

306.8 

67.89 

Test  of  simple  engine  ajid  pump.  September  20,  1906. 


Revolutions 
per  minute  of- 


Indicated 
horsepower. 


E     Time. 


High. 


Total.    Dis?narg^ 
per  second. 


Gallons 
per 


Head. 


Engine.    Pump. 


Head.    Crai  k. 


Useful  Efficiency, 
water       engine" 
horse-    drive  and 
power,      pump. 


Cubic  feet. 

Per  cent. 

1 

3.43 

81.5 

174  8 

255.5 

254  3 

509.8 

95.7 

42,980     31.84 

345.2 

a  67. 7 

2 

3.50 

81.5 

174  8 

251.1 

262.3 

513.4 

99.2 

44,520     31.85 

357.5 

a  69.  6 

3 

4.05 

81.6 

175 

246 

251 

497 

100.7 

45,210  |  31.85 

363 

a  73 

4 

4.15 

81.7 

175.2 

251.2 

251.7 

502.9 

97.1 

43,580  1  31.85  i 

3.50 

a  69.  6 

5 

5.10 

76.4 

163.8  i 

179 

181.9 

360.9 

70.3 

31,5-50     31.65 

251.8 

a  69.  8 

6 

5.19 

76 

'63 

176.5 

180.9 

357.4 

69.4 

31,140     31.63 

248.3 

a  69. 5 

7 

5.35 

79.2 

169.8 

211 

213.7 

424.7 

82.4 

36,980     31.73 

295.8 

a69.7 

8 

6.02 

73.4 

157.4 

119.4 

137.  5 

256. 9 

44.3 

19,870     31.44 

157.3 

61.3 

9 

6.08 

73.4 

157.  4 

117.3 

131.6 

248.9 

45 

20,200     31.44 

160 

56.2 

a  The  average  of  Nos.   1  to  7,  inclusive.  69.8. 


25844— No.  133—07  m- 


-o 


34 

PLANT  NO.  9,  ABBOTT  BROTHERS'  LOWER  FARM. 

The  test  was  made  at  the  Abbott  Brothers'  lower  farm,  about  2  miles 
northwest  of  Crowley.  La.  The  pumping  plant  supplies  water  to  9 
miles  of  main  canals  and  15  miles  of  laterals,  and  has  watered  as 
many  as  7,200  acres  of  rice.  During  the  season  of  1905  it  furnished 
water  for  about  4.000  acres. 

The  plant  contains  four  horizontal  tubular  boilers  66  inches  in 
diameter  and  18  feet  in  length,  each  having  fifty-seven  4-inch  tubes. 

There  are  three  slide-valve  noncondensing  engines,  with  piston  di- 
ameter of  16  inches  and  stroke  of  20  inches. 

The  engine  tested  is  arranged  to  furnish  power  by  means  of  a  rope 
drive  to  a  single-suction  centrifugal  pump,  having  a  suction  pipe  20 
inches  in  diameter  and  discharge  18  inches  in  diameter.  The  other 
two  units  use  belts  between  engine  and  pumps.  Although  the 
pumps  have  single-suction  pipes,  there  are  cored  passages  to  carry 
the  water  around  the  sides  of  the  vortex  chamber  and  cause  it  to 
enter  the  eye  of  the  pump  from  both  sides.  In  each  case  the  dis- 
charge pipe  is  provided  with  an  elbow  at  the  top,  so  that  the  water  is 
discharged  horizontally  into  the  flume. 

The  fuel  used  is  crude  oil,  costing  35  cents  per  barrel  of  42  gallons 
delivered  at  the  plant.  The  supply  is  obtained  through  a  pipe  line 
from  the  Jennings  field. 

During  the  test  two  boilers  were  used  and  one  engine  and  pump. 

The  water  used  by  the  boilers  was  first  pumped  by  one  of  two 
direct-acting  feed  pumps,  ordinarily  used  as  boiler  feeders,  to  two 
barrels  that  had  been  previously  calibrated,  where  it  was  measured. 
These  barrels  emptied  into  another  placed  beneath  them,  which  was 
connected  to  the  suction  of  the  other  boiler  feed  pump.  This  latter 
pump  forced  the  water  through  a  closed  heater,  which  received  the 
exhaust  of  the  engine  and  feed  pumps  and  in  which  the  temperature 
was  raised  from  80.5°  F.  to  189°  F. 

The  plant  has  been  in  use  for  several  years.  The  piping  and  stop 
valves  were  so  arranged  that  considerable  surface  of  bare  pipe  used 
to  conduct  steam  to  the  engines  was  exposed,  and  acting  as  a  con- 
denser, it  was  also  found  impossible  to  close  some  of  the  valves  com- 
pletely and  thus  prevent  leakage. 

The  boilers  used  were  carefully  examined  and  it  was  found  that 
no  water  was  leaking  from  blow-off  valves  or  elsewhere,  so  that  all 
water  measured  and  pumped  to  boilers  was  converted  into  steam. 
The  boiler  test  was  therefore  satisfactory.  At  the  completion  of 
the  regular  test  a  leakage  test  was  conducted  to  determine  the  amount 
of  condensed  steam  passing  through  defective  valves  in  the  steam 
pipe,  and  the  water  apparently  used  by  the  engine  and  auxiliaries 
as  steam  was  corrected. 


35 

The  leakage  was  found  to  be  1(>.83  per  cent  of  the  total  water  used. 
Steam  was  being  used  by  oil  burners  while  leakage  test  was  made, 
and  no  correction  made.  As  there  is  some  leakage  of  steam  when  the 
entire  plant  is  operated,  and  as  one  or  two  units  are  often  operated 
alone,  the  cost  of  oil  wTas  taken  from  results  of  tests  as  found. 

The  test  was  made  on  July  20,  after  heavy  rains.  The  level  of  the 
water  was  unusually  high  in  Bayou  Plaquemine,  but  considerably 
lower  than  it  had  been  two  or  three  weeks  previous,  when  the  flood 
level  was  the  highest  since  the  irrigation  of  rice  began  in  that  section. 

The  mean  lift  was  15.4  feet,  while  ordinarily  it  ranges  from  18  to 
24  feet. 

The  water  was  measured  in  a  flume  9.05  feet  in  width;  the  depth 
varied  from  about  0.7  to  nearly  0.8  foot.  The  average  velocity  varied 
from  3.98  to  4.26  feet  per  second;  it  was  found  by  using  the  current 
meter  and  the  Pitot  tube  alternately,  the  results  obtained  being  the 
mean  of  nine  observations  of  velocity  at  the  centers  of  areas,  each  of 
which  was  one-ninth  of  the  cross  section  of  the  flume. 

The  results  were  equally  satisfactory  with  the  two  instruments. 

Indicator  cards  were  taken  every  fifteen  minutes. 

The  average  efficiency  of  engine,  rope  transmission,  and  pump  was 
41.9  per  cent.  If  the  mechanical  efficiency  of  the  engine  is  assumed  to 
be  90  per  cent  and  that  of  the  rope  drive  95  per  cent,  the  efficiency  of 
the  pump  alone  was  about  49  per  cent. 

This  plant  is  a  type  of  many  of  the  early  installations  in  the  rice 
country. 

The  results  of  the  tests  are  as  follows: 

Bailer  test,  Abbott  Brothers  lower  farm,  July  20,  1905. 

Duration  of  test,  4  hours. 

Total  fuel  oil,  1,929  pounds. 

Average  stream  pressure  by  gage,  73.1  pounds  per  square  inch. 

Average  temperature  of* feed  water,  189°  F. 

Factor  of  evaporation,  1.058. 

Total  weight  of  water  fed  to  boiler,  25.3(50  poun 

Equivalent  water  evaporated  from  and  at  212°  F.,  20,831  pounds. 

Boiler  horsepower.  194. 

Average  air  temperature,  82°  F. 

Water  apparently  evaporated  per  pound  of  oil,  13.15  pounds. 

Equivalent  evaporation  from  and  at  212°  F.  (not  corrected  for  quality  of 
steam),  13.91  pounds. 

Total  feed  water  (including  steam  used  by  auxiliaries,  but  not  including  steam 
lost  through  valves)  per  indicated  horsepower  hour,  43.1  pounds. 


36 


Engiiu  and  pump  teat,  Abbott  Brothers'  lower  farm. 


Time. 

.Steam 
pressure. 

Revo.u- 
tions  per 
minute  of 

engine. 

Indicat 
Head. 

ed  horsepower 
Crank.    Total. 

Revolu- 
tions per 
minute  of 

pump. 

Head. 

Dis- 
charge. 

Useful 
water 
horse- 
power 

Effi- 
ciency. 

11.00 

Pounds. 
72 
79 

78 
76 
78 
75 

137 
140 
140 
138 
141 
139 

61.4 
65.4 
68.7 
64.6 
69.7 
65.1 

58.3 
61.9 
65.8 
60.7 
63.0 
62.4 

119.7 
127.3 
134.  5 
125.3 
132.7 
127.5 

261 
264 
263 
261 
263 
264 

Feet. 

>o.  75 
15.75 
15.70 
15.  67 
15.  65 
15.62 

Cu.  feet 
per  sec. 

Per  a. 

11.15 

11.30 

11.45 

12.00 

12. 15 

12.30 

30.  59 

54.1 

42.  4 

12.45 

72 
72 
72 
74 
73 
72 
80 
84 
73 
72 
69 
62 
72 
75 
72 
73 

137 
139 
138 
139 
137 
138 
140 
137 
138 
136 
135 
130 
137 
138 
137 
137 

63.9 
63.7 
63.8 
61.7 
62.4 
63.8 
68.0 
63.2 
62.4 
60.7 
55.8 
49.3 
61.3 

(a.  o 

61.8 
63.8 

60.0 
60.5 
60.4 
56.5 
58.8 
60.4 
63.4 
59.0 
58.9 
580 
52.1 
44.6 
59.3 
61.8 
59.4 
59.7 

1239 
124.2 
124.2 
118.2 
121.2 
124.2 
131.4 
122.3 
121.3 
118.7 
107.9 
93.9 
120.  6 
125.7 
121.2 
123.5 

260 
262 
262 
264 
258 
262 
265 
259 
264 
260 
252 
247 
255 
265 
259 
260 

15.53 
15.  49 
15.47 
15.42 
1540 
15  36 
15.33 
15  31 
15.28 
15.25 
15.20 
15.17 
15.  14 
15.11 
15. 08 
15.04 

1.00 

1.15 

27.90 

49.0 

39.5 

1.30 

1.45 

2&  25 

49.2 

41.6 

2.00 

2.15 

28  97 

51.6 

41.5 

2.30 

2.45 

3.00 

30.00 
28.81 

52.0 
49.9 

2:! 

3.19.. 

3.36 

3.51 

4.05 

4.25 

4.45 

26  40 
29.39 
29.41 
29  55 
29.55 

45  3 
.50.3 
.50.4 
.50.4 
.50.3 

48.2 
41.7 
40.1 
41.6 

40.7 

Mean  . . . 

73.9 

137.6 





122.2 

260.5 

15.40 

28.98 

50.2 

41.9 

PLANT  NO.    10,  WESSON  FARM. 

This  plant  is  located  on  the  farm  of  Mr.  H.  E.  Wesson,  about  one- 
half  mile  northeast  of  the  railway  station  at  Welsh,  La. 

The  well  is  175  feet  deep;  it  has  a  10-inch  casing,  with  GO  feet  of 
strainer.  The  number  of  acres  watered  in  1905  Avas  64,  while  in  1904 
135  acres  were  irrigated. 

The  boiler  is  of  the  locomotive  type,  having  72  2-inch  flues.  9  feet 
long,  and,  according  to  builders'  rating,  is  of  50-horsepower  capacity. 

The  engine  is  simple  noncondensing,  and  has  a  cylinder  12  inches 
in  diameter  and  stroke  of  15  inches.  The  boiler  is  fed  by  means  of 
a  pmnp  attached  to  the  engine  or  by  an  injector. 

The  pump  was  a  Xo.  8  centrifugal,  with  vertical  shaft. 

The  suction  pipe  was  8£  inches  and  the  discharge  pipe  6  inches  in 
diameter.  Pump  was  submerged  in  a  pit  31  feet  deep  and  was  about 
18  feet  under  water  at  the  time  test  was  made. 

Pump  was  driven  by  means  of  a  belt  from  the  fly  wheel  of  engine, 
which  was  60  inches  in  diameter;  the  pulley  on  pump  was  18  inches 
in  diameter.  The  fuel  used  was  crude  oil,  costing  52.5  cents  per 
barrel  delivered  at  plant. 

The  first  cost  of  this  plant,  including  well  and  the  rough  board 
building,  was  as  follows: 

Engine,  boiler,  and  shed $1,175.00 

Tum])    175.00 

Belt   50.00 

Well,  17.1  feet,  at  $3.50  per  foot 612.50 

Total 2,  012.  50 


37 

The  plant  had  been  in  use  for  three  years  previous  to  the  season 
of  1905  and  was  sadly  in  need  of  repairs.  The  engine  foundation 
consisted  of  large  pieces  of  timber,  to  which  the  frame  of  the  engine 
was  bolted.  The  engine  frame  was  rather  light  and,  as  it  was  called 
upon  to  furnish  power  considerably  in  excess  of  its  rating,  the  com- 
bination of  light  frame  and  wood  foundation  was  accountable  for 
a  great  lack  of  rigidity.  The  overload  was  due  principally  to  the 
lack  of  alignment  of  the  pump  shaft  and  to  the  settling  of  the  casing 
and  pump.  In  plants  of  this  type  the  casing  of  the  well,  to  which 
the  suction  of  the  pump  is  attached,  often  settles,  pulling  the  pump 
with  it,  and,  besides,  there  is  more  or  less  change  in  the  position  of 
the  sides  of  the  planking  forming  the  sides  of  the  pit.  There  are 
bearings  for  the  vertical  shaft  at  intervals,  supported  by  timbers, 
which  are  in  turn  fastened  to  this  pit  lining.  It  is  important  that 
the  main  thrust  bearing  near  the  top  of  shaft,  usually  above  the 
driving  pulley,  shall  be  able  not  only  to  support  the  shaft,  but  also 
the  pull  on  the  pump  impeller,  due  to  unbalanced  pressures.  Unless 
the  pump  and  pits  are  examined  from  time  to  time  and  alignment  of 
shaft  carefully  maintained  trouble  will  follow. 

The  condition  of  the  pump  was  so  bad  that,  after  intermittent  use 
for  two  weeks,  the  impeller  had  worn  holes  through  the  casing  and  a 
new  pump  had  to  be  installed.     This  was  after  tha.  test. 

During  the  test  it  was  only  with  the  greatest  difficulty  that  the 
plant  was  operated;  it  was  in  as  bad  a  condition  as  could  possibly 
exist  and  yet  allow  pumping. 

The  water  pumped  was  measured  by  means  of  an  18 -inch  Cipol- 
letti  weir;  the  depth  was  obtained  by  means  of  a  hook  gage.  The 
head  was  obtained  by  getting  the  difference  of  level  of  water  in  dis- 
charge pipe  of  pump  when  pump  was  not  running  and  the  point  to 
which  the  water  was  elevated  by  pump. 

It  was  desired  that  a  vacuum  gage  be  attached  to  suction  pipe  of 
pump  and  a  pressure  gage  to  the  discharge  pipe,  so  that  the  total 
head,  including  friction,  could  be  obtained.  This  was  impossible, 
because,  as  already  stated,  the  water  stood  in  the  pump  pit  several 
feet  above  the  pump. 

In  pumping  from  a  well  the  level  of  the  water  falls  considerably 
as  soon  as  the  pump  is  started. 

Some  head  is  required  to  force  the  water  through  the  screen  and 
the  surrounding  sand  and  gravel.  In  the  tests  of  pumps  taking  water 
from  the  bayous  and  rivers  the  head  used  to  compute  efficiency  was 
in  each  case  the  actual  distance  through  which  the  water  was  lifted. 
In  the  tests  of  well  plants  the  head  used  was  that  from  original  level 
of  water  before  pump  was  started  to  height  to  which  water  was  ele- 
vated. It  is  seen  from  this  statement  that  this  method  puts  the 
pumps  used  on  well  plants  at  a  disadvantage,  as  the  suction  head  in- 
creased when  pumps  were  run,  and  there  was  no  way  to  correct  for 
the  fall  of  water  level. 


38 

Boiler  test,  Wessom  plant.  .June  SO,  1905. 

Duration  of  test,  1.73  hours. 

Total  fuel  oil,   KK3  pounds. 

Average  steam  pressure  by  gage,  S4  pounds  per  square  inch. 

Average  temperature  of  food  water.  88°  F. 

Factor  of  evaporation,  1.165. 

Total  weight  of  water  fed  to  boiler,  4,477  pounds. 

Equivalent  water  evaporated  from  and  at  212°  F.,  5,216  pounds. 

Boiler  horsepower.  87. 

Average  temperature  of  fuel  oil.  01°  F. 

Average  air  temperature.  04°  F. 

Water  apparently  evaporated  per  pound  of  oil,  11.1  pounds. 

Equivalent  evaporation  from  and  at  212°  F.  (not  corrected  for  quality  of 
steam).  12.0  pounds. 

Total  feed  water  (including  steam  used  by  auxiliaries)  per  indicated  horse- 
power-hour,  36J  pounds. 


Engine  and  pump  test.  Wesson  plant. 


Time. 

Revolu-  !  Indicated  horsepower. 

Revolu- 
tions per 
minute  of 

pump. 

Head. 

Dis- 
charge. 

Useful 

pressure,  minute  of 
engine. 

Head. 

Crank. 

Total. 

horse-       ency. 
power. 

10. 00 

10.30....... 

11.00 

11.30 

Pounds. 

89             -175 
70              147 
00              181 
87              177 

43.4 
27.0 
44.1 
41.4 

36.4 
22.8 
37.2 
34.3 

79.8 
49.8 
81.3 
75.7 

583 
490 
603 
590 

Feet. 
14.08 
14.08 
14.38 
1438 

Cu.  ft. 
per  sec. 
2.22 
2.06 
2.16 
2.18 

3.54 
3.30 
3.52 
3.56 

Per 

cent. 
4.4 
6.6 
4.3 
4.7 

Mean  . 

84               170    1 71.  f>              566 

14.23 

2.16 

3.  48  .          5. 0 

PLANT  NO.   11,  SAXBY  FARM. 


There  was  marked  contrast  in  the  condition  of  the  machinery  tested 
at  plant  Xo.  10,  when  compared  with  that  of  No.  11. 

The  plant  is  located  on  the  farm  of  Mr.  C.  A.  Saxby,  about  three- 
fourths  of  a  mile  southeast  of  Welsh,  La.  The  number  of  acres 
watered  in  1905  was  100,  from  which  a  yield  of  2,052  barrels  of  rice 
was  obtained.  The  well  is  255  feet  deep:  GO  feet  of  screen  are  used. 
The  boiler  is  of  the  locomotive  type;  it  had  been  in  use  for  several 
years,  and,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  there  were  bad  air  leaks  in 
the  breeching,  it  made  a  good  showing  during  the  test. 

The  fuel  used  is  crude  oil,  costing  52.5  cents  per  barrel  of  42 
gallons  delivered  at  plant. 

A  simple,  noncondensing  engine  is  used;  diameter  of  cylinder  11 
inches,  stroke  15  inches,  and  diameter  of  rod  If  inches. 

The  pump  is  a  No.  6  vertical  shaft  centrifugal,  but  is  provided  with 
8-inch  suction  and  discharge  pipes.  The  plant  has  been  in  use  for 
three  seasons.  The  well  is  said  to  be  one  of  the  best  in  that  section 
of  the  country. 


39 


The  cost  of  the  pumping  plant  complete,  including  well,  building, 
and  machinery,  was  $2,530. 

The  pump  is  driven  by  a  quarter-turn  belt;  the  distance  between 
centers  of  engine  and  pump  pulleys  was  about  40  feet.  Both  the 
engine  and  pump  were  in  excellent  condition. 

Three  sets  of  observations  were  taken  of  the  quantity  of  water 
pumped.  These  measurements  were  made  in  a  small  flume  3  feet  in 
length  and  22  inches  in  width.  The  depth  of  water  varied  from 
5^  to  6  inches.  The  mean  velocity  was  determined  by  means  of  a 
Pitot  tube.  After  three  observations  had  been  made  it  became  neces- 
sary to  conduct  the  water  from  the  pond  in  a  different  direction,  and 
this  necessitated  the  changing  of  the  small  flume. 

There  was  not  sufficient  time  to  do  the  work  satisfactorily  and  con- 
ditions had  been  so  uniform  during  the  observations  that  further 
measurements  were  not  considered  necessary. 

The  discharge  from  the  pump,  as  shown  by  the  observations  made, 
varied  between  1,732  and  1,598  gallons  per  minute. 

Owing  to  a  wet  winter  and  spring  the  level  of  the  water  in  the 
wells  of  southwest  Louisiana  was  about  10  feet  higher  in  1905  than 
during  the  average  season.  This  was  favorable  to  well  plants,  as  the 
total  head  pumped  against  was  less  than  usual. 

The  results  of  the  tests  are  as  follows : 

Boiler  test,  Sa.rby  plant,  July  3,  1905. 

Durataion  of  test.  4  hours. 

Total  fuel  oil,  690  pounds. 

Average  steam  pressure  by  gage.  98  pounds  per  square  inch. 

Average  temperature  of  feed  water.  73.5°  F. 

Factor  of  evaporation,  1.184. 

Total  weight  of  water  fed  to  boiler,  7.210  pounds. 

Equivalent  water  evaporated  from  and  at  212°  p.,  8,537  pounds. 

Boiler  horsepower,  02. 

Water  apparently  evaporated  per  pound  of  oil,  10.45  pounds. 

Equivalent  evaporation  from  and  at  212°  F.  (not  corrected  for  quality  of 
steam).  12.37  pounds. 

Total  feed  water  (including  steam  used  hy  auxiliaries)  per  indicated  horse- 
powerdiour,  58.7  pounds. 


Engine 

and  pump  test,  Saxby  plant. 

Steam 
pressure. 

Revolu- 
tions per 
minute  of 

engine. 

Indicated  horsepower. 

Revolu- 

Dis- 
charge. 

Useful 
water 
horse- 
power. 

Time. 

Head. 

Crank.  ,  Total. 

minute  of 
pump. 

Head. 

Effi- 
ciency. 

2.00 

2.30 

3.00 

3.30 

Pounds. 
95 
103 
100 
96 
100 
95 
97 
96 

154 
158 
157 
158 
157 
156 
157 
157 

15.4 
15.8 
15.3 
15.8 
15.7 
15.2 
15.6 
16.4 

14.9 
15.0 
14.9 
15.5 

30.3 
30.8 
30.2 
31.3 

520 
533 
530 
533 
530 
527 
530 
530 

Feet. 
15.25 
15.25 
15.25 
15.25 
15.25 
15.25 
15.  25 
15.  25 

Cu.  ft. 

per  sec. 
3.56 
3.57 
3.86 

6.16 
6.16 

6.67 

Per 

cent. 
20.3 
20.0 
22.1 

4.00 

15.0         30.7 
14.6         29.8 
15.0         30.6 
15.8         32.2 

4.30 

5.00 

5.30 

Mean . 

98 

156.7 

30.7 

529       1 5.  5« 

3.66 

6.33 

20  8 

40 


PLANT   NO.    12,    CROWLEY   FARMING   COMPANY. 

Test  Xo.  1*2  was  made  on  a  pumping  plant  on  the  farm  of  the  Crow- 
ley Farming  Company  (which  is  a  part  of  the  Green-Shoemaker  in- 
terests). This  plant  furnished  water  to  irrigate  500  acres  of  rice  in 
1905,  the  total  yield  from  which  was  3,552  barrels,  or  7.1  barrels  per 
acre. 

There  are  three  10-inch  wells,  each  200  feet  deep,  with  32  feet  of 
strainer.  The  wells  are  connected  to  a  common  suction  pipe  at  the 
pump,  which  is  located  at  the  middle  of  the  top  of  a  T,  formed 
by  three  suction  pipes,  so  that  the  pump  is  50  feet  from  each  well. 

A  simple  noncondensing  slide-valve  engine,  rated  at  50  horsepower, 
with  cylinder  diameter  of  12  inches  and  stroke  of  15  inches,  is  used. 
It  was  in  good  condition.  A  rope  drive  is  used  to  connect  the  engine 
with  a  rotary  pump.  Five  1-inch  ropes  form  the  drive,  the  sheave 
on  the  pump  being  72  inches  and  on  the  engine  66  inches  in  diameter. 

The  pump  is  of  the  chamber-wheel  type;  the  displacement  per 
revolution  is  26.8  gallons,  or  3.58  cubic  feet. 

The  boiler  was  of  the  stationary,  locomotive  type,  having  ample 
capacity  to  furnish  steam  to  engine;   builder's  rating,  60  horsepower. 

The  fuel  used  was  crude  petroleum.  As  it  was  stored  in  a  cylin- 
drical tank,  from  which  oil  was  fed  by  gravity  to  the  burners,  direct 
measurements  of  the  fall  of  the  level  of  the  oil  were  taken,  together 
with  temperature  and  specific  gravity.  From  these  observations  the 
weight  of  oil  used  was  computed. 

The  boiler  was  fed  by  means  of  an  injector,  the  immediate  supply 
being  a  wooden  cistern  located  near  the  engine  house. 

A  pipe  leading  from  the  flume  into  which  the  pump  discharged 
conducted  water  to  the  cistern.  During  the  test  the  valve  in  this 
pipe  was  closed  and  the  fall  of  water  in  the  cistern  was  noted  and 
the  amount  computed  from  the  measurements. 

Water  measurements  were  made  in  the  flume  about  75  feet  from 
the  pump.  Traverses  were  made  by  slowl}7  moving  the  current  meter 
across  the  section  at  different  elevations  and  the  mean  velocity  thus 
found.  The  width  of  flume  was  4.05  feet  and  the  depth  varied 
from  slightly  over  1  foot  to  nearly  1.6  feet. 

The  test  was  begun  at  10.45  a.  m.  and  lasted  two  and  three-fourths 
hours. 

Before  starting  the  test  one  of  the  well  covers  was  removed  and  the 
depth  of  water  measured.  This  was  done  in  order  to  get  a  compari- 
son with  the  two  other  tests  of  well  plants,  where  the  distance  through 
which  the  water  was  pumped  was  taken  as  the  difference  in  level  of 
the  water  standing  in  wells  and  the  discharge. 

The  head  thus  obtained  was  used  to  compute  the  u  useful  work  "  in 
the  log  of  test. 


41 

A  vacuum  gage  was  attached  to  the  suction  pipe  near  pump  and 
was  read  at  each  observation  during  test.  The  reading  of  this  gage 
reduced  to  feet  of  water  and  added  to  the  height  to  which  water  was 
elevated  above  the  point  where  suction  head  was  obtained  gave  the 
total  head  produced  by  pump  in  elevating  the  water,  in  overcoming 
friction,  and  in  producing  the  flow  of  water.  This  head  appears  in 
the  log  of  results  under  the  title  "  including  friction." 

The  difference  between  the  two  must  not  be  charged  entirely  to 
friction,  as  the  water  level  about  the  wells  undoubtedly  fell  as  soon 
as  the  pump  was  operated. 

Two  efficiencies  were  computed,  one  for  each  of  the  heads  as  stated 
above. 

The  conclusion  can  not  be  drawn  that  the  efficiencies  of  the  other 
two  well  plants  tested,  near  Welsh,  would  have  been  increased  pro- 
portionately, for  we  do  not  know  what  effect  was  produced  by  the 
three  wells  connected  to  one  pump  in  the  one  case  and  to  a  single 
well  in  the  other  two  cases. 

The  type  of  pump  in  this  case  was  different  from  that  in  the  other 
two.  The  efficiency  in  each  of  the  three  cases  that  may  be  compared 
is  strongly  in  favor  of  the  plant  under  discussion,  but  this  may  be 
due  in  some  measure  to  the  three  wells  furnishing  the  water. 

The  results  of  the  tests  are  as  follows : 

Boiler' test.  Crowley  Farming  Company,  July  .21.  1905. 

Duration  of  test.  2.75  hours. 
Total  fuel  oil.  452  pounds. 

Average  steam  pressure  by  gage.  70.3  pounds  per  square  inch. 
Average  temperature  of  feed  water.  82°  F. 
Factor  of  evaporation.  1.170. 

Total  weight  of  water  fed  to  boiler,  4.872  pounds. 
Equivalent  water  evaporated  from  and  at  212°  P.,  5.700  pounds. 
Boiler  horsepower.  51. 
Average  temperature  of  fuel  oil.  03°  F. 
Average  air  temperature.  03°  F. 

Water  apparently  evaporated  per  pound  of  oil.  10.78  pounds. 
Equivalent  evaporation  from  and  at  212°    F.    (not  corrected  for  quality  of 
steam).  12.61  pounds. 

Total  feed  water  per  indicated  horsepower-hour.  61.7  pounds. 


42 


Engim  and  pump  test,  Crowley  Farming  Company  plant. 


1 

i 
t 

so  O 

u 

[ndicated  horse- 
power. 

tions       per 
e  of  pump. 

B 

Useful  work. 

Including  friction. 

Time. 

i 

6 

X 

C 

5 

■r. 

o.S  = 

~6 

o 

z  - 
>•= 
x  - 

p,  - 

•6 

1 

-r 
- 
- 

9 
O 

E 

CO 

K 

H 

U 

E- 

- 

w 

[* 

W 

= 

'^ 

Cu.  ft. 

Per 

Per 

Lbs. 

nr.  St  c. 

Feet. 

cent. 

Ft  i  / . 

cent. 

10.45 

77 

84 

135 
136 

14.2 
14.1 

14.0 
14.7 

28.8 
28.8 

123 
125 

11.00 

4.  77      15.  75 

8.51 

29.5 

28.87 

15.00 

54.  2 

11.15 

77 

135 

14.1 

14.9 

29. 

124 

4.79      L5.75 

8.55 

29.5 

29.  10 

15.82 

54.  6 

11.30 

83 

134 

14.1 

14.5 

28.6 

124 

4.98      15.75 

8.88 

31.1 

29. 10 

16.45 

57.5 

11.45 

82 

136 

14.2 

15 

29.2 

126 

4.85      15.75 

8.04 

29.0 

29.16 

16.02 

54.  9 

12.00 

76 

134 

14 

14.4 

28.4 

123 

4.94      15.75 

8.81 

31 

29. 16 

16.32 

57.  5 

12.15 

77 

135 

14 

14.5 

28.5 

123 

4.81      15.75 

8.58 

30.1 

29.16 

15.89 

55.  8 

12.30 

7ti 

135 

14 

14.8 

28.8 

123 

4.89      1575 

8.73 

30.3 

29.16 

16.14 

56 

12.45 

80 

135 
135 

13.9 
14.1 

14.5 
14.5 

28.4 
28.0 

123 
123 

1.00 

4.  SI      15.75 

8.59 

30. 

29.16 

15.90 

55.5 

1.15 

83 

135 

14 

14.4 

28.4 

123           4.71      15.75 

8.40 

29.6 

29.16 

15.  50 

54.8 

Mean. 

79.3 

135 

. 

28.7 

123.6       4.84      15.75 

8.63 

30.1 

29.13 

15.97 

PLANT  NO.    13,   SOUTH  SIDE  PLANTING  COMPANY  DRAINAGE 

WHEEL. 

This  test  was  made  of  a  pumping  plant  used  to  drain  the  sugar 
plantation  of  the  South  Side  Planting  Company,  on  the  right  bank 
of  the  Mississippi  River,  opposite  New  Orleans.  It  contains  1,700 
acres,  1,600  of  which  were  under  cultivation  in  1905. 

Open  ditches  are  used  exclusively.  The  smaller  ones  are  brought 
together  successively  and  terminate  in  a  large  canal  leading  to  the 
drainage  wheel.  The  water  drains  away  from  the  river.  The  flow 
is  obtained  by  deepening  the  ditches  as  they  approach  the  pumping 
plant,  as  well  as  from  the  natural  slope  of  the  land.  Here  the  water 
is  elevated  and  then  flows  back  into  the  swamps.  The  plantation  is 
protected  from  backwater  by  means  of  a  levee. 

This  type  of  pump  is  used  in  northern  Italy  and  in  Holland.  It 
lias  long  been  a  favorite  in  Louisiana,  but  was  used  much  more  ex- 
tensively a  few  years  ago  than  at  present. 

The  wheel  tested  is  a  type  of  its  class,  but  has  some  distinct  fea- 
tures in  the  double  gearing  and  in  the  number  of  paddles,  which  is 
greater  than  is  sometimes  used.  The  general  design  and  method  of 
bracing  are  clearly  shown  in  the  drawing  (fig.  2). 

The  diameter  of  the  wheel  is  28  feet;  the  width,  (>  feet. 

The  test  was  made  while  pumping  out  the  canal  system,  and  was 
necessarily  short,  lasting  only  about  an  hour. 

A  boiler  test  under  existing  conditions  would  have  been  worthless 
and  was  not  attempted. 

The  steam  pressure  is  40  pounds  or  less,  as  this  is  the  allowed  pres- 
sure for  the  old  boiler.  Very  little  skill  is  required  in  operating  this 
plant,  and  there  is  a   feeling  of  reliability  in   connection    with   the 


43 

entire  outfit.  Ordinarily  wood  is  used  as  fuel.  An  engine  having 
a  cylinder  16  inches  in  diameter  and  stroke  of  24  inches  is  used  to 
drive  the  wheel.  It  is  of  the  simple  noncondensing  slide-valve  type. 
The  plant  is  looked  after  and  operated  by  an  unskilled  laborer 
and  it  never  gives  trouble.  When  a  rain  comes  in  sufficient  amount 
to  demand  pumping  he  starts  a  fire,  gets  up  steam,  and  runs  as 
long  as  required.  Often  this  is  but  for  an  occasional  few  hours,  but 
sometimes  the  wheel  is  run  steadily  for  a  week. 


Fig. 


-Drainage  wheel,  near  New  Orleans. 


Care  was  exercised  to  so  design  this 
not  be  lifted  unnecessarily.     The  backw 
wheel  when  at  rest  is  prevented  by  the 
drawing. 

The  results  are  very  satisfactory,  as 
engine,   transmission  gears,  and   pump 
per  cent,  and  in  two  cases  considerably 
actual  lift  of  the  pump  varied  from  2.4 


wheel  that  the  water  would 
ard  flow  through  the  pump 
swinging  door  shown  in  the 

they  show  an  efficiency  of 
in  every  case  exceeding  38 
above  that  figure,  while  the 
feet  to  2.86  feet. 


44 

The  quantity  of  water  pumped  fell  off  as  the  level  of  the  water  on 
the  suction  side  fell,  and  varied  from  20.71  cubic  feet  per  second  to 
8.21  cubic  feet  per  second. 

During  the  last  observation  the  paddles  dipped  into  the  water  to 
a  depth  of.  approximately.  1  foot,  and  the  slip  or  backward  flow 
was  quite  large.  The  clearance  on  the  sides  of  paddles  was  about 
three-fourths  of  an  inch. 

By  referring  to  the  log  of  results  it  will  be  seen  that  only  6.95 
indicated  horsepower  was  required  to  drive  the  wheel  at  the  last 
observation  when  lifting  8.21  cubic  feet  per  second  2.86  feet,  and  12.61 
indicated  horsepower  when  lifting  20.71  cubic  feet  per  second 
through  2.4  feet. 

The  method  of  testing  consisted  of  traversing  the  discharge  flume 
with  a  current  meter  and  taking  indicator  cards  and  other  observa- 
tions as  quickly  as  possible  after  traverse  was  finished.  By  this 
means  the  indicated  horsepower  was  a  little  less  than  the  mean  cor- 
responding to  the  water  measurement,  but  as  the  latter  required  only 
about  ten  minutes  the  error  is  not  great.  The  method  used  was 
rendered  necessary  by  lack  of  observers. 

These  results  are  confirmed  b}T  the  test  of  a  similar  drainage  wheel 
in  New  Orleans  in  August,  1900.  The  wheel  tested  was  used  at 
that  time  in  one  of  the  city  drainage  stations.  Since  the  inaugura- 
tion of  the  new  drainage  system  it  has  been  taken  down  and  removed. 
The  log  of  the  test  shows  that  between  50  and  60  cubic  feet  of  water 
per  second  was  pumped  through  a  height  varying  from  4  to  5  feet. 
The  efficiency  of  engine,  gearing,  and  pump  ranged  from  45  to  50  per 
cent.  The  duty  per  100  pounds  of  coal  was  approximately  13,000,000 
foot-pounds;  the  water  rate  of  the  engine  was  50.5  pounds  per  indi- 
cated horsepower-hour.  The  engine  was  of  the  type  used  in  Missis- 
sippi River  steamboats;  the  length  of  stroke  was  54  inches  and 
diameter  of  cylinder  18  inches.  During  the  test  the  engine  made 
about  35  revolutions  per  minute. 

One  of  the  chief  objections  to  this  type  of  pump  is  found  in  the 
fact  that  it  is  made  largely  of  wood  and  that  the  bolts  must  be 
screwed  up  occasionally  as  the  wheel  is  inspected. 

Secure  foundations  are  especially  desirable  on  account  of  the 
weight  of  the  wheel  and  the  small  side  clearance  desired  for  the 
paddle. 


45 

The  details  of  the  test  are  given  below : 

Engine  and  pump  test,  Southside  Planting  Company  drainage  wheel. 


Steam 
pressure. 

Revolu- 
tions per 

minute 
of  en- 
gine. 

Indicated  horsepower. 

Revolu- 
tions per 

minute 
of  wheel. 

Useful 

Time. 

Head. 

Crank. 

Total. 

Head. 

Dis- 
charge. 

water 
horse- 
power 

Effi- 
ciency. 

10.10 

Pounds. 
40 
40 
38 
36 
37 

61 

66 

68 

67.5 

68 

5.59 
5.48 
4.77 
3.67 
3.15 

7.84 
7.13 
5.60 
5  13 
3.80 

13.43 

12.61 
10.37 
8.80 
6.95 

2.00 
2.17 
2.24 
2.22 
2.24 

Feet. 

Cu.  ft. 
per  sec. 

Per 
cent. 

10.45 

11.10 

12.15 

12.30 

2.4    |        20.71 
2.8             17.20 
2.7             11.23 
2.86  !          8.21 

5.59 
5.41 
3.41 
2.66 

44.3 
52.2 
38.8 
38.3 

Mean  . 

38.  2 

66.1 

(A v.  last  4.) 

9.68             2.22 

2.69           14.34  |          4.27 

43.4 

PLANT  NO.    14,  ALGIERS  DRAINAGE  PLANT. 

Algiers,  La.,  is  a  suburb  of  New  Orleans,  situated  on  the  right 
bank  of  the  Mississippi  River,  and  forming  a  part  of  the  city.  The 
drainage  plant  tested  is  one  of  the  plants  forming  the  drainage  sys- 
tem of  New  Orleans.  It  differs  from  the  other  drainage  plants  of 
the  city  in  that  it  has  its  own  boiler  and  engine  equipment,  while 
those  of  the  city  proper  are  supplied  with  electrical  power  generated 
at  a  central  power  station  and  distributed  to  the  various  pumping 
plants.  Artificial  drainage  is  a  necessity,  as  the  mean  level  of  the 
city  is  only  about  2  feet  above  that  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  there 
are  large  portions  of  the  city  below  the  mean  Gulf  level. 

The  boiler  equipment  consists  of  two  200-horsepower  water-tube 
boilers,  fed  by  means  of  direct-acting  steam  pumps.  Only  one  boiler 
was  used  during  the  test.  One  pump  was  used  to  furnish  water  to 
the  calibrated  barrels,  where  it  was  measured,  and  the  other  pump 
then  forced  it  into  the  boiler  through  a  closed  heater  receiving  the 
exhaust  of  boiler  feed  pumps  and  vacuum  pump. 

The  fuel  used  was  crude  oil,  costing  78  cents  per  barrel  of  42  gallons 
delivered  at  plant. 

The  engine  is  a  triple  expansion  of  the  marine  type,  direct  con- 
nected to  pump.  The  diameters  of  steam  cylinders  are  13,  21,  and  34 
inches,  and  the  stroke  is  24  inches.  A  jet  condenser  and  vacuum 
pump  of  ample  size  were  used. 

The  pump  is  centrifugal,  having  double  suction  pipes,  each  36 
inches,  and  discharge  pipe  52  inches  in  diameter.  The  pump  is  sev- 
eral feet  above  the  level  of  discharge. 

Before  starting  it  was  primed  by  means  of  a  steam  siphon. 

The  level  of  the  water  on  the  discharge  side  was  practically  con- 
stant during  the  test,  while  the  suction  level  fell  as  the  canal  was 
pumped  out. 


46 

During  a  heavy  and  uniform  rainfall  it  would  be  possible  to  have 
a  constant  height  through  which  the  water  is  lifted  for  several  hour-. 
At  the  time  the  test  was  made  there  was  no  rain,  and  the  water 
pumped  had  been  allowed  to  accumulate  in  the  drainage  canal  lead- 
ing to  the  pumping  station.  The  pump  was  operated  until  the  canal 
was  nearly  emptied,  when  the  test  had  to  stop. 

An  efficiency  test  was  made  of  the  boiler.  It  lasted  but  seventy 
minute-. 

While  a  boiler  tot  of  this  duration  with  any  fuel  other  than  crude 
oil  would  be  ridiculous,  and  in  any  case  i>  subject  to  some  error,  this 
test  was  as  satisfactory  as  possible  under  the  conditions. 

The  boiler  had  not  been  used  for  some  time  previous  to  raising 
-team  for  the  test,  and  for  this  reason  did  not  show  as  good  results  as 
it  would  had  the  walls  been  thoroughly  heated  before  starting. 

Water  measurements  were  made  by  means  of  Pitot  tubes  in  the  suc- 
tion pipes.  These  pipes  were  made  of  cast  iron  and  were  36  inches  in 
diameter.  There  were  two  bends  in  each,  one  a  long  radius  bend 
through  90°,  while  the  other  was  through  about  45°  in  the  opposite 
direction. 

The  traverses  were  made  in  each  case  on  an  axis  of  symmetry  and 
simultaneously  in  the  two  pipes.  To  obtain  the  quantity  of  water 
from  these  observations  the  platted  traverse  of  each  cross  section  was 
divided  into  ten  annular  rings  of  equal  area,  and  the  velocity  of  the 
water  was  taken  at  the  mean  radius  of  each  annular  ring.  The 
average  of  these  ten  velocities  was  used  in  computing  the  quantity  of 
water  pumped. 

One  of  the  Pitot  tubes  was  that  described  elsewhere  and  illustrated 
in  figure  1  (p.  10).  The  other  was  one  of  the  tubes  used  by  the  Mis- 
sissippi River  Commission  in  tests  of  hydraulic  dredges  in  1 902  and 
L903. 

Indicator  cards,  the  height  through  which  the  water  was  lifted, 
and  the  other  observations  were  taken  at  fifteen-minute  intervals.  All 
results  were  platted  on  a  time  basis;  and  as  observations  varied 
regularly,  it  was  thought  best  to  compute  results  by  reading  the  va- 
rious quantities  from  these  curves. 

The  boiler  results  are  about  what  would  be  expected  under  the  con- 
ditions of  the  test. 

The  total  steam  used  by  engine,  auxiliaries,  and  oil  burners  is 
extremely  large  for  a  triple-expansion  engine.  However,  the  engine 
load  was  considerably  less  than  that  which  it  was  designed  for,  and 
I  he  two  steam  pumps  and  the  vacuum  pump  were  very  wasteful  of 
Steam,  especially  the  latter. 


47 


The  results  of  the  tests  are  given  below  : 

Boiler  test,  drainage  plant,  Algiers,  /.'/..  August  SI,  JU05. 

Duration  of  test.  1.17  hours. 

Total  fuel  oil,  TOO  pounds. 

Average  steam  pressure  by  j?age.  140.6  pounds  per  square  inch. 

Average  temperature  of  feed  water.  196.2°  F. 

Factor  of  evaporation.  1.064. 

Total  weight  of  water  fed  to  boiler,  7,257  pounds. 

Equivalent  water  evaporated  from  and  at  212°  1\.  7,722  pounds. 

Boiler  horsepower,  191. 

Average  temperature  of  fuel  oil.  83°  F. 

Average  air  temperature.  89°  F. 

Water  apparently  evaporated  per  pound  of  oil.  10.37  pounds. 

Equivalent    evaporation    from    and    at    212°     (not    corrected    for    quality 
steam),  11.03  pounds. 

Total  feed  water   (including  steam  used  by  auxiliar 
power-hour.  32  pounds. 


of 


s)    per  indicated  horse- 


Engine  and  pump  test.  Algers  drainage  i>huit. 


Tim.'. 


Steam 
pressure. 


Indicated  horsepower. 


High. 


Interme- 
diate. 


Low. 


£g-a 


Lb<. 

11.30 137 

11.45 139 

12.00 140 

12.15 141 

12.30 146 

Mean.  .  .  140.6    118.6 


Lb*. 
115 
117 
118 
119 
124 


101.3 
102.7 
102.4 
103.7 
104.1 


33.3 
33.4 
33.0 
34.1 


34.5 
34.9 
34.8 
35.3 
35.9 


31.2 
31.4 
30.9 
31.6 
31.6 


31.2 
31.5 
31.3 
31.4 
32.1 


102. 


32.  8 

30.4 
29.6 
30.9 
30 .4 


32.0 
31.8 
30.6 
31.4 
31.2 


195.0 
193.4 
190.2 
194.7 
194.8 


Cu./t. 
F(ft.    p.  sec. 


4.83 
5.. 56 
6.69 
7.83 
9.24 


142.4 
137. 8 
132. 2 
125.  1 
114.2 


is5 


100.0 
110.8 

119.3 


P.  ct. 
39.8 
44.7 
52.6 
.56.9 
61.2 


193.6     6.83      130.5       98.8       51.0 


PLANT  NO.    15,  NEW  ORLEANS   DRAINAGE  STATION  NO.   3. 


The  turbine  pump  tested  is  located  at  station  No.  3  of  the  New 
Orleans  drainage  system.  It  was  installed  as  a  fire  pump  and  has 
been  used  principally  to  prime  the  larger  pumps  at  the  station.  The 
pump  is  a  two-stage  turbine,  having  a  6-inch  suction  and  a  4-inch  dis- 
charge pipe.  It  is  driven  by  a  direct  current  motor  on  the  same  bed 
plate.  A  rotary  "converter  in  the  station  receives  an  alternating  cur- 
rent from  the  central  power  house  of  the  drainage  system  and  fur- 
nished a  direct  current  to  the  motor  driving  the  pump. 

The  discharge  head  was  measured  by  means  of  a  pressure  gage  on 
the  discharge  pipe  near  the  pump.  The  suction  was  measured  by 
means  of  a  vacuum  gage  on  the  suction  pipe  near  the  pump.  Both 
gages  Avere  carefully  calibrated.  The  total  head  was  obtained  by  re- 
ducing both  these  observations  to  feet  of  water,  correcting  for  the 


48 


difference  of  level  and  adding  the  difference  between  velocity  heads 
in  discharge  and  suction  pipes.  By  this  means  the  pump  is  given 
credit  for  the  velocity  head  it  produces  as  well  as  for  pumping  the 
water  against  pressure  equivalent  to  the  given  heads. 

The  water  discharged  from  the  pump  was  measured  by  means  of  an 
18-inch  Cipolletti  weir,  placed  in  a  tank  having  baffle  plates  so  ar- 
ranged that  the  water  flowed  quietly  to  the  weir.  The  depth  of  water 
over  the  crest  of  the  weir  was  measured  by  an  accurate  hook  gage. 

The  electrical  losses  were  measured  and  corrections  made. 

The  friction  of  pump  and  motor  was  obtained  when  pump  was  not 
primed,  and  one-half  was  charged  to  each  in  getting  the  efficiency  of 
pump,  assuming  the  friction  to  be  constant  for  all  loads. 

Observations  were  taken,  beginning  with  the  discharge  valve  closed 
and  then  opening  it  slightly  and  again  taking  observations  as  soon 
as  all  conditions  were  constant;  then  valve  was  opened  a  little  more 
and  the  process  continued  until  the  discharge  valve  was  wide  open. 

Some  trouble  was  experienced  with  the  thrust  bearing,  on  account 
of  heating,  but  the  test  was  not  seriously  interfered  with. 

The  results  of  the  test  are  given  below : 

Pump  test.  New  Orleans  drainage  station  No.  .i. 


00 

ii 

"3 

> 

*s 

Head. 

o 
c 

9 
P 

5 

oj  p, 

Efficiency    of 
pump    and 
motor. 

-          « 

Time. 

_o 
o 

3 
00 

9 

s> 

OS 

o 
co 

s 

"3 

o 

EH 

5  3       o>  o 

9.50 

9.55 

10.00 

10.03 

10.06 

10.09 

10.12 

10.15 

10.18 

10.21 

10.24 

10.27 

10.30 

1,000 
978 
967 
990 
960 
960 
956 
956 
956 
949 
949 
949 
949 

140 

138 

136 

134.3 

134 

134 

133.5 

133.5 

133.5 

132.5 

132.5 

132.5 

132.3 

101         18.95 
126         23.31 
176      j  32.09 
194         34.92 
208         37.36 
217. 3     39. 03 
225         40. 26 
236         42.23 
242         43.31 
247.5     43.96 
254.2     45.15 
260.5     46.27 
264.0     46.82 

Feet. 
2.20 
3.06 
6.46 
8.72 
10.20 
12.23 
13.48 
14.95 
16.20 
18.01 
19.37 
21.01 
21.53 

Feet. 
136.2 
140.0 
127.3 
115.7 
104.2 
92.5 
81.0 
69.4 
57.8 
46.3 
34.7 
23.1 
16.2 

Feet. 
142.8 
147.6 
139.1 
130.3 
120.7 
111.5 
101.6 
92.0 
82.0 
72.7 
62.9 
53.1 
46.7 

Feet. 

0 
.241 
.322 
.362 
.387 
.408 
.427 
.446 
.459 
.476 
.489 
.495 
.495 

Cu.  ft. 
per 
sec. 
0 
.597 
.923 
1.101 
1.216 
1.316 
1.409 
1.504 
1.571 
1.657 
1.727 
1.759 
1.759 

0 

9.98 
14.54 
16.25 
16.62 
16.60 
16.20 
15.67 
14.59 
13.62 
12.30 
10.57 

9.30 

Per 

cent. 
0 

42.8 
45.3 
46.5 
44.5 
42.5 
40.2 
37.1 
33.7 
31.0 
27.2 
22.8 
19.8 

Per     Per 

cent.    cent. 

0           0 

50.2  85.3 

52.0  87.1 

53.1  87.6 

50.7  87.7 

48.3  88.0 
45.6       88.1 

42.0  88.3 

38.1  88.3 
35.1       88.3 

30. 8  88. 4 
25.8  ,    88.4 

22.4  88.4 

PLANT  NO.   16,    NEW  ORLEANS  DRAINAGE  STATION  NO.   7. 

This  plant  has  been  recently  installed  at  station  No.  7  of  the  New 
Orleans  drainage  system  to  take  care  of  the  ordinary  drainage  of 
a  portion  of  the  city;  for  this  reason  it  is  called  a  constant-duty 
unit.  During  heavy  rains  the  drainage  is  disposed  of  by  means  of 
the  large  centrifugal  pumps  of  the  station.  The  latter  are  electric- 
ally driven. 

The  gas  engine  is  a  3-cylinder  vertical,  of  the  4-cycle  type,  each 
cylinder  12J  inches  in  diameter,  stroke  13  inches.  Gas  is  supplied 
from  a  suction  producer.     The  engine  is  connected  by  means  of  a 


49 

flexible  coupling  to  a  horizontal  shaft  which  in  turn  drives  a  vertical 
shaft  through  bevel  gears.  At  the  lower  end  of  the  vertical  shaft  is 
the  impeller  of  the  centrifugal  pump.  The  suction  pipe  of  the  pump 
is  36  inches  in  diameter,  while  the  discharge  pipe  enlarges  from  20 
inches  diameter  at  pump  to  30  inches  diameter  at  a  distance  of  a  few 
feet. 

The  fuel  used  was  pea  anthracite  coal;    it  was  carefully  weighed. 

A  preliminary  test  was  made,  using  a  prony  brake  on  engine  and 
taking  indicator  cards.  When  the  engine  developed  100  brake  horse- 
power it  was  found  that  the  indicated  horsepower  as  computed  with 
uncorrected  springs  was  almost  exactly  the  same  figure.  The  springs 
were  nominally  rated  at  200,  but  on  calibration  they  were  found 
to  be  in  error  by  16.6  per  cent.  This  correction  was  applied  and  the 
indicated  horsepower  was  found  to  be  120  when  the  brake  horse- 
power was  100  and  the  revolutions  approximately  300  per  minute. 
The  mechanical  efficiency  of  the  engine  was  therefore  83.4  per  cent. 
As  the  revolutions  varied  but  little  from  300,  it  was  thought  best 
to  take  the  indicator  cards  obtained  during  the  test  and,  having 
corrected  for  the  springs  to  compute  the  indicated  horsepower  and 
then  subtract  20  to  give  the  brake  horsepower,  or,  in  other  words,  the 
developed  horsepower  of  the  engine.  The  horsepower  given  pump 
(called  in  log  Pump  H.  P.)  was  obtained  by  subtracting  25  from  the 
indicated  horsepower  in  each  case,  as  a  preliminary  test  had  shown 
the  friction  of  gears  and  bearings  between  the  flexible  coupling  and 
the  shaft  just  above  the  pump  to  be  5  horsepower,  and  the  friction 
of  engine,  as  stated  above,  was  20  horsepower. 

Water  horsepower  was  computed  in  the  usual  way.  The  head  was 
that  between  suction  and  discharge  basins  on  the  two  sides  of  the 
pumping  station.  The  water  had  to  pass  through  50  or  60  feet  of 
pipe,  but  enlargements  at  entrance  and  discharge  ends  and  low  veloc- 
ity reduced  the  losses  in  the  piping. 

The  velocity  of  the  water  was  obtained  by  means  of  the  Pitot  tube. 
Traverses  were  made  at  fifteen-minute  intervals  across  the  discharge 
pipe  about  30  feet  from  the  pump;  observations  were  taken  at  such 
distances  from  the  center  that  the  mean  velocity  could  easily  be  com- 
puted. The  discharge  pipe,  30  inches  in  diameter,  was  divided  up 
into  ten  areas,  all  of  which,  writh  the  exception  of  that  at  the  center, 
were  annular  rings.  The  tube"  was  placed  at  such  positions  that  the 
mean  velocity  in  these  annular  rings  was  obtained  on  both  sides  of  the 
center.  Por  each  traverse  nineteen  observations  were  made.  The 
results  platted  in  the  curves  were  the  mean  of  three  readings  for  each 
point.  In  the  circle  at  the  center  of  the  pipe,  containing  one-tenth  of 
the  area  of  cross  section,  but  one  observation  of  velocity  was  taken, 
while  in  the  annular  rings  two  observations  were  taken,  one  on  either 
25844— No.  183—07  m 4 


50 


side.     In  order  t<>  give  all  observations  equal  weight,  the  velocity 

observed  at  the  ''(Miter  of  pipe  was  doubled  and  added  to  the  other 
18  observations;  the  sum  divided  by  20  gave  mean  velocity. 

The  indicating  of  gas  engines  is  often  unsatisfactory.  During  this 
test  trouble  was  experienced  with  the  indicator  on  cylinder  No.  3, 
and  some  of  the  cards  were  not  as  satisfactory  as  could  be  desired. 
For  .this  reason  the  indicated  horsepower  and  results  dependent  on 
that  quantity  may  be  somewhat  in  error.  The  error  may  amount  to  5 
per  cent  or  possibly  more  in  the  efficiency  of  the  pump,  the  true  value 
being  less  than  that  stated. 

The  friction  of  gears,  bearings,  and  so  forth  had  to  be  determined 
when  running  light;  the  friction  loss  probably  changes  slightly  for 
increased  load. 

The  measurements  of  coal  used,  the  head  pumped  against,  and  the 
amount  of  water  pumped  were  satisfactory  and,  fortunately,  these 
are  the  most  important  factors. 

Approximately  1.1  pounds  of  coal  was  used  per  brake  horsepower- 
hour,  or  about  0.9  pound  per  indicated  horsepower-hour. 

The  dutjr  in  millions  of  foot-pounds  per  100  pounds  of  coal  was 
found  to  be  119.6,  while  the  duty  per  million  British  thermal  units  in 
fuel  was  82.4;  this  is  an  excellent  showing. 

The  heat  value  of  the  pea  anthracite  coal  was  found,  by  means  of  a 
Parr  calorimeter,  to  be  14,374  British  thermal  units  per  pound.  The 
percentage  of  energy  in  the  fuel  that  appeared  as  indicated  horse- 
power was  therefore  20.75  per  cent ;  as  developed  or  brake  horse- 
power, 16.2  per  cent ;  and  as  useful  work,  10.6  per  cent. 

Cost  of  coal,  $8  per  ton  delivered  at  plant. 


Producer  gas  plant,  Station  No.  7.  February  l.  1906. 


ft 

It 

'Z  3 

a  a 

>  H 
e 

o 

«  <D  ft 

a,  c 
**  > 

*  0 

o  p, 
a) 

=1 

i 

0,0 
^4  ft 

t 

pq 

o    . 

3 

ft 

I 
> 

3 
d 

43 

Q 

5 

Gage. 

5 

w 

i 

hi 

.1 

£  ft 

r 
- 

9 

I 

Time. 

3 
o 

a 

s 

K» 

fit 
o 

09 

5 

- 

i .  i :. 

292 
295 
296 
297 
297 
294 
290 
296 
297 
296 
297 
298 
298 
297 
298 
299 
300 

6.12 
6.43 
6.52 
6.34 
6.  23 
6.23 
6.19 
6.18 
6.  15 
6.16 
6.  14 
6.09 
6.12 
6.18 
6.  12 
6.19 
(i.  21 

Cu.ft. 
persec. 
30.04 
31.56 
32.00 
31.12 
30.58 
30.58 
30.38 
30.  34 
30. 19 
30.  24 
30.  u 

29.  89 

30.  04 
30.  34 
30.04 
30.  38 
30.  48 

8.20 
7.30 
7.37 
7.28 
7.04 
6.87 
6.65 
6.80 

6.  85 
6.89 
(1.70 
6.00 
6.87 

7.  30 
7.05 
6.  7(1 
7.00 

20.35 
20.35 
20.35 
20.35 
20.35 
20.  35 
20.35 
20.40 
20.40 
20.40 
20.40 
20  40 
20.41 
20.  43 
20.  45 
20.  45 
20.  45 

Feet. 

12.15 
13.  05 
12.98 
13.07 
13.31 
13.  48 
13.70 
13.60 
13.  55 
13.51 
13.70 
13.80 
13.  54 
13.  13 
13.  40 
13.  75 
13.  45 

41.3 
46.7 
47.1 
46.1 
46.1 
46.  7 
47.1 
46.  7 
46.  3 
46.  3 
46.8 

46.  7 
4ti.  1 
45.1 
45.  6 

47.  3 
46.4 

Per 
cent. 

Lbs. 

L.30 

1.30 

43.  62 

1.46 

2.00 

2.15 

147.5 
151.0 
157.5 
143.5 
151.0 
143.5 
147.5 
145.7 
154.5 
152.8 
163. 2 
152.2 
102.7 
145.7 

88.3 
90.4 
93.  3 
85.6 
90.1 
85.  9 
88.0 

87.  3 
92.8 
91.8 
97.8 
91.4 
98.1 

88.  l 

68.3 
70.4 
73.  3 
65.6 
70.1 
65.  9 
68.0 

67.  3 
72.8 
71.8 
77.8 
71.4 
78.1 

68.  l 

66.  3 

65.4 
68.3 
60.  6 
65.1 
60.9 
63. 0 
62.  3 
67.8 
66.  8 
72.8 
66.  4 
73.  1 
63.1 

69.5 
70.5 
68.4 
77.7 
71.7 
76.0 
73.5 
75.1 
68.9 
89.  0 
61.9 
68.7 
64.7 
73.5 

1.55 

91.1 

2.30 

2. 45   

2.25 

136.  1 

3.00 

3.15 

2.55 

180.1 

3.30 

3.45 

3.  25 

222.  (i 

4.00 

4.15 

4.30 

4.4"> 

3.  55 
4.'  35 

265.  3 
308.8 

.",  no 

5.15 

Mean 

90.6 

70.6 

i 

51 

PLANT  NO.    17,  NECHES  CANAL  COMPANY. 

The  Neches  Canal  Company  furnished  water  to  irrigate  approxi- 
mately 22,000  acres  of  rice  during  the  season  of  1906.  The  main 
pumping  plant  is  located  on  the  bank  of  Pine  Island  Bayou,  a  tribu- 
tary of  the  Neches  River,  about  6  miles  north  of  Beaumont,  Tex. 
At  this  plant  the  water  is  elevated  from  31  to  35  feet,  depending  on 
the  stage  of  water  in  the  bayou.  A  canal,  with  levees  150  feet  from 
crown  to  crown,  conducts  the  water  from  the  main  pumping  plant  to 
the  relift  about  2  miles  distant,  where  it  is  again  elevated  10  feet. 
Beyond  the  relift  plant  there  are  23  miles  of  main  canal  and  about 
18  miles  of  laterals  through  which  the  water  is  distributed  to  the 
rice  fields.  The  cost  of  pumping  plants,  canals,  and  laterals  was 
$500,000.     The  system  has  been  operated  four  seasons. 

The  tests  described  were  made  on  August  8  and  9,  1906.  The 
plant  tested  was  the  first  lift  or  main  pumping  plant  of  the  Xeches 
Canal  Company.  On  the  first  day  one-half  of  the  plant  was  oper- 
ated, while  on  the  second  day  the  entire  plant  was  run. 

The  boiler  equipment  of  this  plant  consists  of  two  water-tube 
boilers,  each  of  400  nominal  horsepower,  having  3,675  square  feet  of 
heating  surface.  Each  boiler  has  two  drums  42  inches  in  diameter, 
21  feet  in  length,  and  180  4-inch  tubes  18  feet  long.  A  breeching  72 
inches  in  diameter  conducts  the  burned  gases  to  a  steel  stack  of  the 
same  diameter,  resting  on  a  brick  base.  The  length  of  stack  is  90 
feet  and  the  total  height  above  furnace  about  115  feet. 

Steam  is  conducted  from  the  boilers  by  separate  pipes  to  a  main 
which  supplies  the  various  engines.  By  means  of  a  stop  valve  the 
two  halves  of  the  plant  may  be  separated  and  boiler  No.  1  used  to 
supply  steam  to  engines  Xos.  1  and  2,  and  boiler  Xo.  2  used  with  en- 
gines Xos.  3  and  4.     There  are  steam  separators  above  each  engine. 

The  fuel  used  was  crude  petroleum.  It  was  fed  to  the  furnaces  by 
gravity,  as  the  storage  tanks  are  located  at  a  height  considerably 
aboAe  that  of  the  furnaces.     Steam  is  used  to  atomize  the  oil. 

There  are  four  tandem  compound  condensing  Corliss  engines; 
dimensions,  18  by  36  by  48  inches;  piston  rods,  4f  and  3J  inches  in 
diameter.  Each  engine  is  direct  connected  to  a  rotary  pump  by 
means  of  a  flexible  coupling.  Keys  of  Babbitt  metal  are  used  in  the 
couplings.  These  keys  are  made  strong  enough  to  carry  the  load,  but 
will  shear  in  case  a  piece  of  wood  or  other  obstacle  gets  into  the 
pumps. 

The  pumps  are  two-lobed  cycloiclal  of  39  inches  pitch  diameter. 
The  impellers  are  52  inches  in  length  and  58J  inches  in  diameter; 
the  displacement  is  605  gallons  per  revolution;  the  bearings  are  11 
inches  in  diameter  by  30  inches  in  length. 

Two  vertical  vacuum  pumps  are  used,  one  for  engines  Xos.  1  and 
2  and  another  for  engines  Xos.  3  and  4.     They  are  of  the  jet  type 


52 

The  dimensions  of  these  pumps  are  12  by  28  by  18  inches:  the  num- 
ber of  double  strokes  per  minute,  about  thirty-five. 

Two  direct-acting  steam  pumps  are  used  for  boiler  feeders  when 
the  entire  plant  is  in  operation.  They  are  outside  packed,  double 
acting,  having  dimensions  15  by  >s  by  12  inches.  The  usual  number 
of  double  strokes  is  about  twenty-one  per  minute. 

There  are  two  No.  7  heaters;  each  receives  the  exhaust  from  one 
vacuum  pump  and  one  feed  pump. 

The  object  of  the  tests  was  to  determine  the  various  efficiencies  of 
the  plant,  the  mechanical  efficiencies  of  pumps  and  engines,  and  the 
cost  of  operating.  Great  care  was  used  in  measuring  the  input  of 
energy  in  the  form  of  fuel  oil  and  the  output  in  the  form  of  useful 
water  horsepower. 

On  August  8  engines  and  pumps  Xos.  3  and  4  were  run.  Steam 
was  furnished  by  boiler  No.  2.  The  stop  valve  in  the  steam  main 
between  the  two  halves  of  the  plant  was  closed.  There  was  some 
leakage  at  this  valve  and  also  at  the  two  blow-off  valves  of  the 
boiler  used.     Leakage  of  air  through  boiler  No.  1  caused  another  loss. 

A  second  test  was  run  on  August  9,  190G,  with  the  entire  plant  in 
operation.  During  this  test  there  was  no  leakage  from  the  blow-off 
pipes  of  either  boiler.  The  drain  pipes  from  the  steam  separators 
were  closed  on  both  days;  the  other  leaks  from  the  steam  main  Avere 
small  and  no  attempt  was  made  to  measure  them. 

On  the  first  day  continuous  counters  on  engines  Nos.  3  and  4  were 
read  at  intervals  of  five  minutes.  Readings  for  fifteen-minute  inter- 
vals are  given  in  the  general  log.  For  computing  the  indicated  horse- 
power the  revolutions  were  taken  from  the  five-minute  intervals  dur- 
ing which  the  cards  were  taken.  Indicator  cards  were  taken  every 
half  hour. 

The  discharge  from  the  two  pumps  was  carefully  measured  in  flume 
No.  2  by  means  that  will  be  described  later.  In  this  way  the  displace- 
ment of  pumps  and  their  discharge  were  compared  and  the  mechan- 
ical efficiency  of  engines  and  pumps  determined. 

Observations  were  also  taken  at  half-hour  intervals  of  boiler  pres- 
sure, the  temperatures  of  feed  water,  calorimeter,  water  pumped,  air, 
and  fuel  oil.  A  draft  gage  connected  to  an  air  valve  in  the  breeching 
gave  the  draft  in  inches  of  water. 

Fuel  oil  was  carefully  measured  in  a  calibrated  barrel  and  its  spe- 
cific gravity  observed  throughout  the  test  by  means  of  a  hydrometer. 

The  amount  of  boiler  feed  water  was  measured  by  means  of  a  weir. 

On  the  second  day,  when  the  whole  plant  was  in  operation,  the  total 
water  discharged  from  both  flumes  was  measured:  at  intervals  of 
fifteen  minutes  the  water  measurements  were  made,  so  that  they  wTere 
repeated  in  each  flume  at  half-hour  intervals. 


53 

The  head  was  carefully  measured  in  the  same  manner  as  on  the 
previous  day. 

The  fuel  oil  was  carefully  measured.  The  steam  pressure  was  held 
exactly  as  on  the  previous  day.  In  this  way  the  total  useful  work 
done  and  the  amount  of  fuel  required  to  operate  the  entire  plant  were 
measured  under  conditions  exactly  corresponding  to  the  previous  day. 

Feed  water  was  measured  only  during  the  test  of  August  8.  As  the 
tests  were  to  represent  as  nearly  as  possible  the  conditions  of  ordinary 
operation  it  was  desirable  to  use  the  heaters,  the  water  level  in  which 
was  only  about  2  feet  above  the  center  of  the  feed  pump.  The  high 
temperature  of  the  feed  water  made  it  necessary  to  have  the  water 
flow  by  gravity  to  the  pumps.  The  pipe  connections  were  short  and 
the  measurement  of  feed  water  in  calibrated  tanks  could  only  be 
accomplished  hy  the  aid  of  an  extra  pump  or  by  taking  cold  water 
from  the  flume.  A  trapezoidal  weir  6  inches  in  width  was  intro- 
duced between  the  heater  and  pump  by  slight  changes  in  the  piping. 
The  discharge  from  the  weir  was  into  a  barrel  connected  to  the  suc- 
tion of  the  feed  pump.  The  height  of  the  water  above  the  sill  of  the 
weir  was  measured  by  a  hook  gage.  In  this  way  the  plant  was 
operated  under  normal  conditions  and  the  water  measured  with  con- 
siderable accuracy.  The  weir  had  been  previously  calibrated  in  the 
hydraulic  laboratory  of  Tulane  University,  Louisiana,  and  its  con- 
stant determined.  It  is  believed  that  the  error  involved  does  not 
exceed  2  per  cent,  and  that  it  is  probably  only  half  that  amount. 

By  this  method  all  the  water  fed  to  the  boiler  was  measured.  The 
steam  generated  by  the  boilers  was  used  by  main  engines,  by  vacuum 
and  feed  pumps,  and  for  atomizing  the  fuel  oil. 

The  quality  of  steam  was  obtained  by  means  of  a  throttling  calorim- 
eter in  the  vertical  pipe  coming  from  the  boiler,  a  short  distance 
above  the  junction  of  the  vertical  pipe  with  the  horizontal  main. 

The  conditions  of  the  boiler  test  were  extremely  uniform ;  the  water 
level  changed  very  little  and  the  rate  at  which  water  was  supplied  to 
the  boiler  was  not  varied  throughout  the  test.  Steam  pressure,  qual- 
ity of  steam,  and  the  temperature  of  the  feed  did  not  vary  perceptibly. 

Boiler  pressure  and  vacuum  were  read  by  means  of  calibrated  gages. 
The  error  of  the  thermometer  used  in  the  calorimeter  was  known 
and  the  correction  applied. 

Two  indicators  were  used  on  engine  No.  3  and  two  on  engine  No.  4. 
All  were  supplied  with  wheel  reducing  motions.  Each  cylinder  of 
each  engine  was  supplied  with  three-way  cocks.  On  the  high-pressure 
cylinders  80-pound  springs  were  used,  while  20-pound  springs  were 
used  on  the  low.  The  springs  were  calibrated  after  the  test  and  the 
corrections  applied  where  necessary. 

The  barrel  in  which  the  fuel  oil  was  measured  was  calibrated  by 
means  of  an  accurate  spring  balance. 


.54 

Samples  of  the  fuel  oil  were  taken  from  time  to  time  during  the  test 
and  Later  a  careful  determination  of  the  heat  value  was  made  at 
Tulane  University  <d"  Louisiana.  The  heal  units  per  pound  were 
found  to  be  18,790;  the  amount  of  water  present  in  the  oil  was  2  per 
cent.     The  oil  was  from  the  Jennings,  La.,  held. 

The  height  through  which  the  water  was  lifted  was  obtained  by 
measuring  down  from  bench  marks  on  the  suction  side  of  the  pumps 
to  the  water  level  in  the  suction  flume,  and  again  from  a  bench  mark 
on  the  discharge  side  to  the  level  of  the  water  in  the  discharge  flume. 
The  head  was  extremely  constant.  All  linear  measurements  taken  by 
means  of  a  tape  were  corrected  by  comparison  with  a  steel  tape. 

The  discharge  of  pumps  Xos.  3  and  4  is  into  a  common  flume,  built 
of  one-fourth-inch  steel,  having  an  inside  width  of  8.71  feet.  The 
depth  of  water  in  the  flume  was  obtained  by  measuring  the  distance 
from  an  angle  iron  across  the  top  of  the  flume  and  subtracting  the 
distance  from  angle  iron  to  the  surface  of  the  water.  The  depth 
varied  little  from  4.17  feet  throughout  the  test;  each  time  six  observa- 
tions were  taken  and  averaged. 

Two  instruments  were  used  alternately  to  determine  the  velocity — 
u  current  meter  and  a  Pitot  tube. 

The  average  of  all  readings  taken  with  the  current  meter  gives  a 
discharge  of  152.90  cubic  feet  per  second,  while  the  average  displace- 
ment of  the  pump  for  corresponding  readings  averages  152.90.  The 
average  of  all  readings  of  discharge  obtained  by  means  of  the  Pitot 
tube  gives  152.79  cubic  feet  per  second;  the  average  displacement  for 
corresponding  readings  is  152.92.  The  agreement  in  both  cases  is 
remarkable  and  can  lead  to  but  one  conclusion,  viz,  that  the  dis- 
charge of  the  pumps  is  practically  equal  to  their  displacement. 

The  writer  believes  the  results  to  be  as  accurate  as  could  be  obtained 
with  a  weir. 

Boiler  test,  Xcchcs  Canal  Company,  August  8,  1905. 

Duration  of  boiler  test,  r).?)*.^  hours. 
Total  fuel  oil,  6,384  pounds. 

Average  steam  pressure  by  gage,  1-40  pounds  per  square  inch. 
Average  temperature  of  feed  water.  190°  F. 
Factor  of  evaporation,  1.053. 
Total  weight  of  water  fed  to  boiler,  79,651  pounds. 
Equivalent    water  evaporated   from  and  at   '2\'2°    F.,  83,872  pounds. 
Boiler  horsepower,  434.6. 
Average  temperature  of  fuel  oil,  01°  F. 
Average  air  temperature,  80°  F. 

Water  apparently  evaporated  per  pound  of  oil,  12.47  pounds. 
Equivalent  evaporation  from  and  at  212°  F   (corrected  for  quality  of  steam  ». 
13.1  \  pounds. 


Engine  and  pump  test,  main  pumping  plant,  Xecfos  Canal  Company.  August  8,  1906. 


Indicated  horsepower. 


Time. 


1.30 

1.45 

2.00 

2.15 

2.30 

2.45 

3.00 

3.15 

3.30 

3.45 

4.00 

4.15 

4.30 

4.45 

5.00 

5.15 

5.30 

5.45 

6.00 

6.15 

6.30 

6.45 

7.00 

7.15 

7.30 


Time. 


1.30. 
1.45. 
2.00. 
2.15. 
2.30. 
2.45. 
3.00. 
3.15. 
3.30. 
3.45. 
4.00. 
4.15. 
4.30. 
4.45. 
5.00. 
5.15. 
5.30. 
5.45 . 
6.00. 
6.15. 
6.30. 
6.45. 
7.00. 
7.15. 
7.30. 


Revolutions  per 
Boiler  minute, 

pressure. 


Engine  No.  3. 


High. 


Low 


No.  3.        No.  4.  Head.  Crank.  Head.  Crank. 


Total. 


140 


140 


140 


140 


140 


140 


140 


140 


140 


54.3 
.55.3 
55.0 
55. 1 
55.  1 
55.0 
55.2 
55. 1 
55.0 
55. 1 
54.9 
54.9 
55.  1 
55. 1 
55.  1 
55. 1 
55. 1 
55.  1 
55.1 
55.  3 
55.0 
55.  1 
55.2 

an.  2 


95.8 


95.0 


65.2 


313.9 


98.6 

97.8 

67.1 

59.4 

322.9 

97.9 

94.5 

74.2 

62.5 

329.1 

94.3 

92.7 

69.9 

62.6 

319.5 

94.9 

94.1 

70.1 

62.8 

321.9 

95.4 

93.9 

67.0 

59.9 

316.2 

95.2 

94.8 

70.3 

61.2 

321.5 

93.2 

94.3 

71.3 

60.7 

319.5 

94.6 

94.0 

72.9 

60.8 

322.3 

92.0 

94.8 

71.9 

60.7 

319.4 

95.6 

92.2 

70.3 

63.3 

321.4 

95.9 


93.3 


70.4 


Indicated  horsepower— Continued. 


Engine  No.  4. 


High. 


Low. 


Head.     Crank.    Head.     Crank. 


Tofo 


Grand 
total. 


Dis- 
charge. 


Head. 


Useful 
water 
horse- 
power. 


Effi- 
ciency of 
pump 
and  en- 
gine. 


Cu.  ft. 

per  sec. 

1.50.6 


107.  8       104.  0 


63.  2 


59.  6       334.  6       648.  5 


Averages 


107.9 

ioi."  7 " 

i05.2" 
103.'  5' 
105.' :V 

ios.o' 
ioi"  i 

ioiV 
ioai' 
ioi' 7' 

103.' 6' 


103.2 

166.0 
ioi.' 6 
ioo."  6 
166.' 6 
ioi.  2 
'99.' 2 
ioo."  7  I 
i66.'6' 

"99.'2" 

ioo.' 4' 


i     105. 3 

100.0 

69.2 

62.2  | 

337.5 

105. 0 

101.2 

69.1 

62.0 

337.  3 

658.8 

104  1 

99.2 

70.5 

6a  8 

337.6 

657.  1 

65.4 
68.T 
69.' 5' 
69.' 7' 

2' 

1 

5 
69.8' 
69.' i'  " 
7L2 
70."  5 


59.9 

6i.  6 

"62  3 
62.'6 
62."  2 
62."6 
'63."8 
'63.7 

ei-'i' 

62.' 6' 
62."  o" 


336.4 
am  8* 
'338.0' 
'335.2" 


333.3 

'.mi' 

'337.6' 


659.3 
'659.' 9 
"657."  5' 

'657.T 
653.  7 
"658."  8 
'657.'i 
662.' 2 
'652.' 7" 
'656.'5' 
"660.'2" 


151.3 
15a  8    . 
151.3 

154.  3    . 
151.  3 

151.8  . 
15a  6 
154  9    . 
154  7 
151.5    . 
154  1 

152.3  . 

155.  1 

151.9  . 
152.3 

153.4  . 


15.a  3 


150.2 
152.7 
153.  1 


31.61 
34  65' 
34  63 

"3L62' 
34  61* 
34  62' 
34  62' 
34  62' 
34  62" 

'.34  62' 

"3i*62" 
34  62' 

'34  62' 


Per  cent. 
538.6 

544  3  .......... 

54L  1  "    '"'82.02 

544  6  82.07 

"  549.2' 83."  58 

'553.' 3' 84  20 

'551*2" 84;  39 

554  9    84  22 

"82."  80 
82.9i 
"83."  i  3 

"8a~2i 


544  8 
548."  o" 
'542.6' 
'546.' 2' 


657.  7 


152. 


31.62 


546.  1 


8a  25 


SUMMARY  OF  RESULTS  OF  ALL  TESTS. 


The  principal  results  of  all  of  the  tests  reported  in  the  preceding 
pages  are  summarized  in  the  table  following. 


56 


Summary  of  results  of  tests. 


Type  of  engine 

Mean  indicated  horsepower 

Number  and  type  of  pumps 

Actual  hft 

Discharge,  cubic  feet  per  second 

Water  horsepower 

Efficiency  of  eng.ne,  transmission 
and  pump 

Type  of  heater 

Number  and  type  of  boilers 

Steam-gauge  pressure,  pounds  per 
square  inch .' 

Temperature  of  feed  water,  °F 

Boiler  horsepower  "» 

Heating  surface  per  boiler  horse- 
power, square  feet 

Ratio  of  water  evaporated  from  and 
at  212  °F  to  oil 


Plant  number. 


Abbe- 
ville 
Canal 
Com- 
pany. 


Fuel  oil  per  hour,  barrels. 


Fuel  oil  per  minute,  pounds 

/Oil  per  indicated  horsepower  hour, 

I    pounds 

JOil  p.?r  water  horsepower  hour, 
I     pounds 

Heat  value  per  pound  of  oil,  B.  T.  U. . 

Heat  equivalent  of  oil  per  minute, 
B.  T.  D 

Total  steam  per  minute,  pounds 

Heat  per  minute  to  produce  total 
steam,  B.  T.  XJ.q 

Boiler  efficiency,  per  cent 

Heat  equivalent  of  I.  H.  P.  per  min- 
ute, B.  T.  U 

Ratio  of  heat  values  of  I.  H.  P.  and 
of  total  steam,  per  cent 

Ratio  of  heat  values  of  I.  H.  P.  and 
of  oil,  per  cent 

Heat  equivalent  of  W.  H.  P.  per  min- 
ute, B.  T.  U 

Ratio  of  heat  values  of  W.  II.  P.  and 
of  total  steam,  per  cent 

Ratio  of  heat  values  of  W.  II.  P.  and 
of  oil,  per  cent 

Duty  in  million  foot-pounds  per  1,000 
pounds  of  steam 

Duty  in  million  foot-pounds  per  mil- 
lion B.  T.  U.  in  fuel 

Cost  of  fuel  oil  per  barrel  of  42  gallons, 
cents 

Cost  of  fuel  o:l  per  hour,  cents 

Water  pumped,  gallons  per  minute.. 
JCost  of  fuel  for  raising  1,000,000  gal- 

\    Ions  1  foot,  cents 

(Cost  of  fuel  to  raise  1  acre-foot  1  foot, 

I    cents 

JCost  of  fuel  to  raise  2  acre-feet  20  feet, 

I     cents 

JCost  of  fuel  to  raise  2  acre-feet  20  feet, 

\    at  50  cents  per  barrel,  cents 

JCost  of  fuel  to  raise  1  acre-foot  of 
1    water  to  surface,  cents , 


(*) 

155.6 

Rotary 

15.5 

72.6 

127.5 

81.7 
Open. 

132 

87.2 
119 

11.7 

12.03 
f  nl.01 
I  ol.09 
)  "5.28 
I  0  5.71 
[  «2.04 
(0  2.20 
I  «2.  48 
I  o2.69 
19,500 

111,300 
58.4 

66,300 
59.6 

6,600 
9.96 
5.93 

5,410 
8.16 
4.85 
72.1 
37.8 

2a  5 

[  «2a  8 

(0  25.7 

32,560 

f     «.78 

1      o.85 

I      n.26 

\      o.28 

"10 

oil 

"21.7 

o23.4 

"4 

0  4.3 


Ab- 

bott- 

D  uson 


Ab-  Ab- 
bott- bott- 
Duson,  Duson.  ^i* 


main       first      second    Piant- 
plant,     relift.      relift 


(>) 
671.2 
6  cent. 
16.2 
157.0 
287.4 

42.9 
Closed. 
;6 

82.1 

16a  5 

519 

17.5 

11.21 

}   ,1 

J  26.  62 

[•    2.38 

1    5.56 
19,500 

519, 300 
276.0 

288,100 
55.5 

28,  450 


5.48 
12,190 
4.23 
2.35 
34.3 
18.3 


(°) 
229.8 
2  cent. 
11.2 
116.0 
147.1 

64.2 
Open. 
;3 

65.7 

92.0 

240 

19.5 

11.47 
2.3 

12.03 

a  14 

4.9 
19,500 

234,500 
119.3 

133, 300 
56.8 

9,750 
7.3 
4.15 

6,240 
4  68 
2.66 
40.7 
20.7 


35 

35 

►  178.  4 

80.6 

70,290 

51,830 

►    2.61 

2.31 

-      .85 

.  75 

34 

30 

■   4a  6 

43 

>  las 

a4 

(c) 

121.9 

Cent. 

4.7 

61.6 

33.0 

26.9 
Open. 

U) 

81.2 

87.9 

147 

9.46 

12.90 
1.25 

6.53 

a  22 

11.87 
19,500 

,127,300 
72.4 

81,400 
64.0 

5,170 
6.34 
4.05 

1,400 

1.72 

1.  1 

15.0 

as 
a5 

4.3.8 

27,660 

5.  57 

1.82 

73 

ioa7 

8.6 


(») 
64a  0 
4  cent. 
30.2 

9a  2 
3iao 


2  open 


49.0 

>ei 


106.7 

171.7 

585 

a  51 

15.09 

4.27 

22.28 

2.06 

42 
19,500 

434,500 
310.5 

324, 800 
74  8 

27,500 
8.46 
6.33 

13,500 
4  16 

an 

3a  8 

24.2 

35 

149.4 

41,820 

1.97 

.64 

26 

36.7 

19.3 


Acadia 
relift. 


137.7 

Cent. 

9.5 

71.4 

76.5 

55.6 
Open. 
72 

79.4 


1.12 

5.87 

2.56 

4  61 
19,500 

114,500 


5,840 


5.1 
3,250 


2.84 


22.1 

35 

39.3 

32,030 

2.16 

.70 

28 

40.1 

6.6 


a  Tandem  compound  condensing  Corliss. 

o  Simple  condens  ng  Corliss. 

c  Simple  noncondensing  slide  valve. 

d  Simple  noncondens  ng  Corliss. 

•  Triple-expansion  condensing,  vertical. 


/  Electrically  driven. 
0  Three-cylinder  vertical. 
A  Second  test,  see  page  52. 
»'  Cycloidal  rotary. 
j  Horizontal  fire  tube. 


57 

Summary  of  results  of  tests. 


Plant  number. 


13 


Grand    Abbott      w  g  Crowley    S°"th    Algiers      Qrhans    oSns      Main       Man 

Farm-       **        drai  ,-     °^£  £^    «     plant    ^ 

ctoti-n       otatirn        ->etlieb       -\edlt^ 


lower 


bv's 


Farm- 
ing Co. 


ptant       farm.       Plant"     Plant"     plant 


drain- 
age 
wheel. 


plant. 


stati:n    station 
No.  3.    '■   No.  7. 


Canal.     Canal. 


No. 


(«) 

452.3 
Cent. 
31.65 
85.65 
306.8 

67.89 
Open. 

(*) 

isa  4 

188.5 
242.2 

18.58 

12.56 
2.11 

11.1 

1.47 

2.  H 
17,834 

197. 970 
129.6 

134,200 
67.9 

19,185 

14  3 

9.7 

13,013 

9.70 

6.57 

78.16 

51.14 

45 

95.1 

38. 445 

1.30 

.424 

16.96 

18.84 

ia43 


(c) 
122.2 
Cent. 
15.4 
29.0 
50.2 

41.9 
Closed. 

;2 

75.1 

189.0 

194 

11.5    . 

ia91 
1.54 

a  04 

a95 

9.61 
19,500 

156.800 
105.6 

108.000 
68.9 


35 

5a9 

13.000 

4  52 

1.48 

59 

sas 

22.8 


(c) 
71.6 
Cent. 
14  2 
2  16 
a48 

5.0 
None. 
(0 

84  0 

88.0 

87 


(c) 
30.7 
Cent. 
15.3 

a66 

6.33 

20.8 

None. 
(0 

98.0 
7a  5 


(«) 

28.7 
Rotarv 
15.7 
4  84 
&  63 


(«) 

9.68 

Wheel. 

2.7 

14  3 

420 


(0  (/)  (?) 

19a  6    90.6 

Cent Cent. 

6. 8         14.  31  13.  4 

130.5    30.5 

9a  8    46.2 


30. 1  j        4a  4 
None,  i    None. 

(0     


79.3 

82.0 

51 


12.87 
.74 

a90 

.3.27 

67.2 
19,500 

76.000 
4a  0 

48,400 
6a  7 

3,040 

6.27 

40 

148 

.31 

.19 

2.67 

1.51 

52.5 
39.1 
967 
47.4 

15.45 
618 
589 

219.4 


12.36 
.55 


5.62 

27.27 
19,500 

56,240 
30.0 

34,300 
61.0 

1,300 

a  80 

2.32 

268 

.78 


a  73 

52.5 

2a  9 

1,642 
19.2 

6.27 
251 
225 

95.9 


12.61 
.52 

2.74 

5.73 

19.02 
19,500 

53.400 
29.6 

33,500 
62.8 

1,210 

a  61 

2.27 


1.10 


51.0 
Closed. 
(*) 

140.6 

190.2 

191 


51.0 


11.03  

1.  91  

10.0  

ai  P. 851b. 


9.65    . 
5.34    . 

40    . 

21  I. 
2,172  . 
10.21    . 

a  34 

134 

156 
52.4 


6.07 
19,500 

195.000 

ioa7 

106,500 
54  6 

8,200 
7.68 
4  21 

4.190 

a  93 

2.15 

31.4 

16.7 

78 

149.2 

58,600 

6.35 

2.08 

83 

43.4 

14.1 


1.  67  lb. 
14.  374 

18.500 


(«) 

657.7 

(*) 

31.62 

152.9 

547.9 

8a  3 
Open. 
(*) 

140.0 
199 

434 

8.32 

13.14 
a  62 

19.04 

1.74 

2.09 
18,790 


C*) 


(') 

32.01 

291.6 

1,055.7 


Open. 
140 


6.33 
3a  23 


1.89 
18,790 


357,780    624,400 
241.4    


2.18 


3.840 


20.75 
1,960 


10.6 


82.4 

80 

30.9 

13.700 

2.8 

.859 

34 

11.6 


241.. 500 
67.  5 

27,900 

11.55 

7.8 

23,200 

9.61 

6.5 

75.4 

50.05 

65 

236 

68,620 

1.81 

.  556 

22.24 

17.11 


44,  772 


7.16 


55.8 

65 

412 

131,220 

1.63 


.50 

20.05 

16.4 


*  Water  tube. 

I  Locomotive  type. 

m  Bas's  34.5  pounds  from  and  at  212  °F. 

»  Heater  in  use. 


o  Heater  not  in  use. 

v  Coal,  prices  based  on  ton. 

q  Reckoned  from  temperature  of  feed. 


58 

DISCUSSION  OF  RESULTS. 

In  the  summary  of  results  given  herewith,  besides  the  quantities 
usually  stated  in  reports  of  this  kind,  it  has  been  thought  best  to 
compute  the  results,  in  most  eases,  on  a  heat  basis.  This  was  made 
possible  by  the  fact  that  the  fuel  was  crude  oil.  The  heat  value  of 
oil  from  the  Jennings  field  was  obtained  from  experiments  with  a 
Parr  calorimeter  at  Tulane  University.  The  results  were  confirmed 
by  information  obtained  from  many  sources,  and  as  a  result  the 
heat  value  of  19,500  British  thermal  units  per  pound  of  oil  was  used 
where  not  otherwise  stated.  Attention  has  already  been  called  to 
the  presence  of  water  in  some  of  the  oil  used  and  to  the  uncertainty 
as  to  its  amount.  It  is  important  that  the  water  in  crude  oil  be 
allowed  sufficient  time  to  settle  and  to  be  drawn  off  from  the  bottom 
of  supply  tanks.  The  loss  due  to  water  intimately  mixed  with  the 
oil  may  be  enormous,  even  when  no  trouble  is  experienced  by  having 
the  fires  put  out.  Low  boiler  efficiency  may  be  due  to  several  causes. 
among  which  may  be  named:  (1)  Kind  of  burner  used;  (2)  ar- 
rangement of  fire-brick  eheckerwork  to  receive  the  impact  of  the 
flame;  (3)  proportions  of  boiler,  particularly  the  heating  surface 
per  boiler  horsepower;  (4)  water  intimately  mixed  with  the  fuel  oil, 
and  (5)   too  great  an  excess  of  air. 

The  amount  of  steam  used  by  burners  to  spray  the  oil  varies  from 
3  to  8  per  cent,  while  in  exceptional  cases  it  may  run  as  high  as  12  or 
possibly  15  per  cent.  The  average  burner  will  probably  use  6  per 
cent  of  the  total  steam  in  this  way.  The  small  pipes  used  to  conduct 
steam  to  burners  present  considerable  condensing  surface,  so  that  the 
steam  entering  burners  must  contain  a  large  percentage  of  moisture. 
Latent  heat  is  required  to  convert  the  water  into  steam  and  more 
heat  to  raise  the  steam  to  the  furnace  temperature,  while  the  steam 
enters  the  flue  at  the  temperature  of  the  gases  formed  by  combus- 
tion. The  more  steam  used  by  the  burners,  the  less  the  amount  to 
give  up  its  energy  as  indicated  horsepower  and  the  greater  the 
amount  of  heat  lost  in  the  furnace.  Extensive  tests  conducted  else- 
where have  shown  conclusively  that  the  arrangement  of  the  fire-brick 
checkerwork  in  a  furnace  where  fuel  oil  is  burned  has  a  marked 
effect  on  efficiency.  Attention  has  already  been  called  to  the  fact 
that  the  boiler  which  showed  the  best  efficiency  had  the  smallest 
amount  of  heating  surface  per  boiler  horsepower.  The  fact  has 
also  been  noted  that  two  boilers  of  the  same  type,  those  of  the 
Acadia  plant  and  of  Grand  Canal,  and  of  nearly  the  same  size,  gave 
widely  varying  efficiencies.  The  difference  is  chiefly  accounted  for 
by  the  amount  of  water  in  the  oil. 

The  efficiencies  of  the  boilers  tested  were  remarkably  low:  in  only 
one  case  did  the  efficiency  exceed  70  per  cent.     The  Acadia  plant  gave 


59 

nearly  75  per  cent,  but  in  this  respect  it  stands  alone,  as  the  next. 
highest  was  less  than  TO,  and  in  a  few  cases  efficiencies  approximating 
55  per  cent  were  obtained.  Many  of  the  boilers  tested  were  designed 
for  using  wood  as  fuel,  while  the  others  were  intended  for  coal.  It 
seems  probable  that  in  many  cases  the  heating  surface  is  too  large 
for  using  oil  economically.  Another  source  of  loss  is  in  too  liberal  a 
supply  of  draft  area.  A  large  supply  of  oxygen  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary, but  the  draft  which  corresponds  to  highest  economy,  other 
things  being  equal,  is  that  which  is  just  sufficient  to  prevent  smoke. 
It  is  a  very  simple  process  to  cut  down  draft  area  until  smoke  appears, 
and  then  to  increase  it  until  the  point  is  reached  where  smoke  disap- 
pears.    Howeyer,  this  loss  is  too  often  overlooked. 

The  heat  to  produce  the  steam  is  reckoned  from  the  temperature  of 
feed,  assuming  dry  and  saturated  steam.  The  error  involved  is 
small:  this  error  is  certainly  less  than  that  involved  in  measuring 
the  discharge  from  the  pumps. 

Indicated  horsepower  and  water  horsepower  were  both  reduced  to 
the  heat  basis.  By  multiplying  horsepower  per  minute  by  4:2. 42  the 
equivalent  British  thermal  units  are  obtained. 

Having  computed  these  quantities,  it  is  possible  to  locate  losses  in 
the  plant.  In  this  way  boiler  efficiency,  the  percentage  of  heat  in 
total  steam,  appearing  as  indicated  horsepower,  and  the  percentage 
of  heat  equivalent  of  water  horsepower  to  that  in  the  oil,  to  that  in 
total  steam,  and  to  the  indicated  horsepower,  all  become  known. 

The  mechanical  efficiencies  of  engine,  transmission,  and  pump  vary 
within  wide  limits.  «It  is  impossible  to  compute  the  efficiencies  of 
pumps  without  assuming  the  mechanical  efficiencies  of  the  engines, 
which  Avill  probably  range  from  00  to  93  per  cent.  Where  pumps  are 
not  directly  connected,  as  in  every  case  except  the  Abbeville  plant, 
the  Algiers  drainage  plant,  and  the  Neches  plant,  the  efficiency  of 
transmission  must  also  be  assumed:  the  probable  value  will  range 
from  90  to  95  per  cent. 

The  final  comparison  of  pumping  plants  must  be  made  on  a 
financial  basis.  In  designing  a  pumping  plant  for  a  certain  set  of 
conditions,  not  only  the  cost  of  oil  must  be  considered,  but  also  inter- 
est on  the  investment,  depreciation,  repairs,  and  wages.  In  order  to 
put  the  comparison  on  a  practical  basis,  the  cost  of  plants  of  different 
types  was  obtained  from  many  sources  as  well  as  the  cost  of  operating 
plants  and  distributing  water. 

Much  information  regarding  the  amount  of  fuel  required  in 
various  plants,  in  addition  to  that  obtained  from  the  tests,  was 
secured.  It  was  found  that  in  general  the  plants  tested  were  typical 
of  their  class  with  the  exception  of  plant  No.  10. 


60 

The  best  plant  for  a  particular  case  must  possess  two  qualities — 
reliability  and  maximum  financial  economy.  The  first  is  absolutely 
essential,  while  the  second  becomes  more  and  more  important  as  the 
margin  of  profits  becomes  smaller. 

To  operate  economically  a  plant  must  be  run  at  its  full  capacity — 
that  is  to  say.  the  maximum  number  of  acres  that  can  safely  be 
watered  should  be  irrigated  annually.  Keeping  these  conditions 
in  mind,  the  problem  of  designing  a  large  pumping  plant  will  be 
considered.  To  make  the  discussion  concrete  the  plant  will  be  sup- 
posed to  have  a  capacity  sufficient  to  water  9,000  acres  when  operated 
eighteen  hours  out  of  each  twenty-four  during  the  irrigation  season, 
which  is  assumed  to  be  of  eighty  days'  duration. 

For  the  actual  hours  of  operation  we  will  assume  that  the  amount 
of  water  needed  is  7.5  gallons  per  minute  per  acre  irrigated,  or 
7.5X9,000=67,500  gallons  per  minute.  While  it  is  intended  to  run 
the  plant  eighteen  hours  per  day,  it  may,  in  case  of  excessive  drought, 
be  operated  continuously  for  several  days;  operated  eighteen  hours 
per  day  for  eighty  days  the  water  pumped  would  amount  to  a  depth 
of  24  inches  over  9,000  acres. 

Our  entire  outfit  will  consist  of  two  units  so  arranged  that  either 
engine  may  be  furnished  steam  from  any  of  the  boilers  and  either 
or  both  units  operated  at  will. 

The  plant  is  to  be  erected  on  the  banks  of  some  stream  conveniently 
located  and  wThere  the  water  supply  is  known  to  be  ample.  The 
actual  lift  is  to  be  20  feet  as  a  maximum. 

It  is  assumed  that  the  building  will  cost  the  same  in  any  case.  The 
type  of  boilers,  engines,  accessories,  and  pumps  may  vary.  Prices 
and  estimates  have  been  obtained  from  as  many  sources  as  possible 
and  specifications  carefully  studied  and  compared.  It  would  mani- 
festly be  unfair  to  state,  specifically,  the  sources  of  this  information, 
as  nearly  all  was  confidential.  The  discussion  will,  therefore,  be  con- 
fined to  a  general  statement,  giving  average  results  of  this  inquiry. 
In  making  comparisons  reliability,  running  expenses — which  include 
depreciation  and  repair,  interest  on  investment,  wages,  and  cost  of 
fuel — will  be  considered.  A  part  of  the  running  expenses  are  con- 
stant— that  is,  they  do  not  vary  from  year  to  year,  as  they  are  pro- 
rated on  the  investment;  they  will  be  larger  as  the  investment  is 
larger. 

The  quantity  most  liable  to  fluctuation  is  the  fuel  bill.  This  is  a 
function  of  several  variables:  (1)  The  price  of  oil  per  barrel;  all 
calculations  have  been  based  on  the  use  of  fuel  oil,  as  it  has  been 
found  most  economical  at  present  prices  in  this  section.  If  in  the 
future  the  cos!  of  fuel  oil  should  advance  from  any  cause  to  more 
than  $1  per  barrel,  many  will  return  to  coal  as  a  fuel,  if  its  present 


61 

price  is  maintained.  It  has  been  found  that  a  fair  comparison  be- 
tween the  two  fuels  is  on  the  basis  of  3^  barrels  of  oil  per  ton  of 
average  soft  coal.  Of  course,  it  costs  more  for  wages  to  burn  coal 
than  it  does  for  crude  oil.  (2)  The  amount  of  water  pumped,  which 
will  vary  considerably  in  different  seasons.  (3)  The  head  pumped 
against,  the  amount  of  the  variation  of  level  of  the  water  supply  in 
some  places  being  as  great  as  10  to  15  feet.     (4)   The  type  of  plant. 

The  first  of  these  variables  depends  on  the  market  and  on  proximity 
of  the  oil  field.  The  second  and  third  vary  according  to  the  amount 
of  rainfall  during  the  irrigating  season.  The  fourth  will  affect 
the  amount  of  the  fuel  bill  according  to  economy  of  operating. 

To  the  above  plant  charges,  as  they  may  be  called,  must  be  added  the 
canal  expenses.  It  has  been  found  by  examining  a  great  deal  of 
reliable  data  that  on  the  average  the  first  cost  of  right  of  way,  canals, 
flumes,  and  laterals  is  about  $10  per  acre  irrigated.  This  would  mean 
an  investment  of  $90,000  for  an  acreage  of  9,000.  Now,  capital  when 
once  invested  in  canals  and  flumes  is  no  longer  convertible  into 
money,  and  the  rate  of  interest  would  therefore  have  to  be  larger 
than  on  the  plant  investment.  Six  per  cent  is  assumed  as  a  fair  basis 
for  canals  and  flumes  and  5  per  cent  for  the  plant.  The  canal  charges 
are  therefore  as  follows : 

Interest  at  6  per  cent  on  $90,000 $5,  400 

Depreciation,  maintenance,  repairs,  and  cost  of  distributing 
water S,  000 

Total  expenses 13,400 

Expenses  per  acre,  13,400-^-9,000=$1.49,  say  $1.50. 

These  figures  agree  with  many  actual  average  cases. 

For  the  purpose  of  comparison  five  types  of  plants  have  been 
taken : 

Plant  Xo.  I,  consisting  of  water-tube  boilers,  compound  condensing 
engine,  and  high-grade  centrifugal  pump. 

Plant  Xo.  II,  consisting  of  water-tube  boilers,  compound  condens- 
ing engines,  and  rotary  pumps. 

Plant  Xo.  Ill,  consisting  of  water-tube  boilers,  simple  condensing 
Corliss  engine,  and  centrifugal  pumps. 

Plant  Xo.  IV,  comprising  what  would  ordinarily  be  called  a  "  cheap 
outfit  " — horizontal  return  tubular  boilers,  slide-valve  noncondens- 
ing  engines,  and  cheap  centrifugal  pumps. 

Plant  Xo.  V,  which  is  a  small  well  plant,  with  locomotive  type  of 
boiler,  small  slide-valve  engine,  and  vertical-shaft  centrifugal  pump. 
Area  to  be  watered  by  Plant  Xo.  V,  150  acres. 

Each  of  the  above  plants  is  to  be  equipped  with  suitable  acces- 
sories, such  as  feed-water  heaters,  boiler-feed  pump,  and,  in  the  case 
of  condensing  plants,  with  vacuum  pumps. 


62 

Let  us  now  examine  the  cost  and  performance  of  each  in  turn. 
assuming  the  price  of  oil  at  50  cents  per  barrel. 

Plant  No.  V  is  often  run  by  an  inexperienced  man  without  regard 
for  economy.  The  depreciation  should  be  figured  higher  than  for 
good  machinery.  Ten  per  cent  is  assumed  for  depreciation  and 
repairs. 

The  figures  below  arc  those  of  an  actual  plant  now  in  operation: 

Cost  of  plant $2,000 

Area    irrigated acres—  150 

Fuel  per  season barrels  of  oil__  725 

Fixed  charges  as  follows : 

Repairs  and  depreciation  at  10  per  eenl $200.00 

Interest  at  5  per  cent 100.00 

Wages  at  .$">  per  month  for  three  months -J:>.">.  on 

Total  fixed  charges 525.00 

Fixed  charges  per  acre 3.50 

Cost  of  fuel  i>er  acre 2.  VI 

Cost  of  irrigating  per  acre .">.'.)•_> 

There  are  no  canal  charges,  as  the  plant  belongs  to  the  farm. 

This  plant  corresponds  in  cost  and  expense  of  operating,  including 
cost  of  fuel,  to  that  tested  as  plant  No.  11. 

It  is  typical  of  its  class  and  rather  above  tjie  average.  The  well  is 
-aid  to  be  one  of  the  best  in  that  part  of  the  country.  In  order  to 
supply  2  acre-feet  per  acre  for  150  acres,  the  well  plant  will  need  to 
be  operated  ninety  days  eighteen  hours  per  day.  With  the  large 
pump  the  plants  are  operated  eighty  days  eighteen  hours  per  day  in 
each  case  to  furnish  2  acre-feet  for  the  H.OOO  acres  irrigated. 

Next  consider  plant  No.  IV.  This  plant  has  been  designed  to 
meet  the  demand  stated  for  our  big  canal  plant.  It  is  made  up  of 
cheap  centrifugal  pumps,  rope  driven  from  slide-valve  engines;  the 
steam  is  supplied  by  horizontal  return  tubular  boilers.  Many  of  this 
type  were  installed  in  the  early  years  of  rice  irrigation  in  Louisiana. 
Strange  as  it  may  seem,  actual  figures  from  estimates  show  the  cost 
of  installing  this  plant  to  be  as  much  as  10  per  cent  more  than  the  cost 
of  installing  a  plant  of  the  same  capacity  but  having  high-grade 
machinery.  This  is  easily  explained  when  we  consider  that  a  slide- 
valve  engine  uses  from  30  to  40  pounds  of  steam  per  indicated  horse- 
power-hour  as  against  1.')  to  20  for  the  compound  condensing. 
The  pump  will  not  have  a  high  efficiency,  and  this  will  increase  the 
engine  horsepower  and  the  size  of  boilers  needed.  It  take-  very  little 
more  fuel  to  generate  -(cam  at  L60  to  200  pounds  pressure  for  the 
compound  engine  than  at  100  for  the  slide-valve  engine:  leaving  the 
pumps  and  accessories  out  of  consideration,  the  boiler  capacity  in  the 


63 

two  plants  must  bear  approximately  the  ratio  of  2  to  1.  The  founda- 
tions and  settings  are  also  much  more  expensive  for  the  wasteful 
plant. 

Taking  the  average  of  a  number  of  high-grade  plants  the  total 
cost  per  water  horsepower  is  just  about  $100,  perhaps  a  trifle  les-  in 
vome  instances.  Now,  (37.500  gallons  per  minute  pumped  against 
20  feet  of  actual  elevation  is  about  340  water  horsepower,  so  that 
one  proposed  plant  with  high-grade  machinery  would  cost  about 
S34.000.  The  slide-valve  plant  which  has  been  under  discussion 
would  cost  10  per  cent  more,  or  S37.400.  and  the  fuel  consumption  for 
the  season  of  eighty  days  would  be  about  1-1.000  barrels  of  oil. 

With  the  slide-valve  engine  a  greater  allowance  must  be  made  for 
depreciation  than  for  the  compound  engines  The  following  assump- 
tion are  therefore  made: 

Repairs  and  depreciation,  at  1"  per  cent $3,740.00 

Interest,  at  5  per  cent 1.870.00 

Wages  of  employees 1.000.00 

Total  rixe<l  charges 6,610.00 

Fixed  charges  per  acre .734 

Fuel  per  acre .  7^ 

Canal  charges  per  acre L50 

Total  cost  of  irrigating  per  acre 3.01 

Plant  Xo.  Ill  is  now  to  be  considered.  This  plant  has  water-tube 
boilers,  simple  condensing  Corliss  engines,  and  good  centrifugal 
pumps.  The  cost  i>  about  $34,000,  the  same  as  the  compound  con- 
densing plant.  It  is  a  good,  reliable,  easy  running  plant,  but  the 
fuel  consumption  is  high,  a-  8,100  barrels  of  oil  are  needed.  The  bill 
of  cost  is  as  follow-  : 

Repairs  and  depreciation,  at  8  per  cent $2,720.00 

Interest.  ;it  5  per  cent 1,700.00 

Wages  of  employees 1,000.00 

T<»tal   fixed   charges 5,420.00 

Fixed  charges  per  acre .602 

Fuel   per  acre .  4." 

Canal  charges  per  acre 1.50 

Total  cost  of  irrigating  per  acre 2.55 

Plant  Xo.  II  is  in  actual  operation.  The  cost  assumed  i-  the  price 
for  the  machinery  at  the  present  time.  The  cost  is  20  per  cent  greater 
than  for  Plant  Xo.  I.  The  outfit  is  made  up  of  water-tube  boiler- 
and  high-grade  rotary  pumps,  driven  by  compound  condensing  en- 
gines. The  increase  in  cost  is  due  to  the  rotary  pump-.  It  will  be 
seen  later  that  under  the  conditions  assumed  this  increase  in   cost 


64 

is  not  justified  by  the  returns,  although  the  cost  of  fuel  per  acre  is 
less  with  the  more  expensive  plant. 

Cost    of  plant $42,000.00 

Fuel  consumed,  barrels  of  oil 3,860 

Running  expenses  : 

Repairs  and  depreciation,  at  8  per  cent .$3,360.00 

Interest,  at  5  per  cent 2,100.00 

Wages  of  employees 1,000.00 

Total    fixed  charges 6,460.00 

Fixed  charges  per  acre .  72 

Fuel  cost  per  acre .  21 

Canal  charges 1.50 

Total  cost  of  irrigation  per  acre 2.  43 

Plant  No.  I  is  now  to  be  considered.  It  is  made  up  of  water-tube 
boilers  carrying  160  to  200  pounds;  high-pressure  compound  con- 
densing engines,  having  a  steam  economy  of  15  pounds  or  less  per 
indicated  horsepower  hour.  These  engines  are  direct-connected  to 
well-designed  centrifugal  pumps  having  a  guaranteed  efficiency  of  70 
per  cent  at  full  load  and  proper  speed.  A  fuel  consumption  of 
4,500  barrels  of  oil  is  assumed  for  a  season  when  the  plant  is  to  be 
operated  eighteen  hours  each  day  for  eighty  days. 

As  already  stated,  the  cost  of  this  plant  erected  and  ready  for  op- 
eration is  $34,000.     The  running  expenses  would  be  as  follows : 

Repairs  and  depreciation  at  8  per  cent $2,  720.  00 

Interest  at  5  per  cent 1,  700.  00 

Wages  of  employees 1,000.00 

Total  fixed  charges 5,420.00 

Fixed  charges  per  acre .60 

Fuel  per  acre .  25 

Canal  charges 1.50 

Total  cost  of  irrigating  per  acre 2.  35 

There  are  two  other  types  of  plants  to  be  mentioned,  neither  of 
which,  so  far  as  the  writer  knows,  has  been  used  for  rice  irrigation. 
The  first  of  these  consists  of  an  outfit  having  centrifugal  pumps  direct- 
connected  to  steam  turbines,  the  steam  to  be  supplied  by  water-tube 
boilers.  The  guaranteed  duty  is  78,000,000  foot-pounds  of  work  per 
1,000  pounds  of  dry  steam  supplied  at  the  turbine  throttle,  which  is 
about  the  same  as  for  the  compound  engine-centrifugal  pump  plant. 
The  price  of  this  outfit  is,  however,  20  per  cent  in  excess  of  that  of 
Plant  No  %I,  or  about  equal  to  that  of  Plant  No.  II  with  no  better 
economy  than  Plant  No.  I.  This  consideration  alone  would  suffice  t ) 
exclude  using  a  turbine  plant.  There  are  other  considerations  which 
will  confirm  this  decision.  In  order  to  operate  a  centrifugal  pump 
economically  against  a  head  fluctuating  between  10  and  20  feet   it 


65 

would  be  necessary  to  vary  the  speed.  The  steam  turbine  is  essen- 
tially a  high-speed  machine,  and  the  pumps  suitable  for  high  lifts. 
Slow  speeds  can  only  be  had  at  a  great  sacrifice  of  economy.  It  might 
be  possible  to  gear  down  a  steam  turbine  to  drive  a  rotary  pump,  but 
the  transmission  losses  would  probably  be  so  large  as  to  make  the  plan 
impracticable. 

The  engineers  of  the  rice  district  are  altogether  unacquainted  with 
the  operation  of  turbines;  for  this  reason  it  would  be  unwise  to 
intrust  the  operation  of  a  turbine  plant  to  any  but  the  very  best 
of  stationary  engineers.  This  would  probably  result  in  an  increase  in 
wages  for  plant  operation. 

The  other  type  to  be  mentioned  is  the  producer  gas-engine  outfit. 
This  engine  is  the  latest  development  in  the  science  of  power  genera- 
tion. Plants  are  being  installed  under  a  guarantee  of  furnishing  a 
brake  horsepower  hour  on  1.25  pounds  of  anthracite  coal.  The  total 
efficiency,  or  ratio  of  heat  equivalent  of  developed  horsepower  to  the 
heat  energy  of  the  coal  for  this  outfit  will  range  from  14  to  20  per 
cent,  while  the  compound  condensing  engine  will  give  about  10  per 
cent,  disregarding  steam  used  by  burners  and  accessories.  The  cost 
of  the  producer  plant  would  be  nearly  twice  as  great  as  the  cost  of 
Plant  No.  I.  The  price  of  fuel  oil  would  have  to  advance  consid- 
erably above  present  rates  before  the  comparison  of  this  plant  with 
those  of  the  better  t}Tpes  already  considered  would  be  of  interest. 
Furthermore,  the  gas  engine  is  likely  to  be  less  reliable  in  operation 
than  is  the  steam  engine,  and  it  is  less  familiar  to  the  men  avIio  would 
have  to  run  the  plants.  For  intermittent  operation,  with  the  plant- 
laid  by  for  three-fourths  of  the  year,  the  producer  gas  plant  is  not 
well  suited.  For  these  reasons  this  plant  will  not  be  further  con- 
sidered. 

It  will  now  be  of  interest  to  compare  the  cost  of  irrigating  per  acre 
with  these  various  plants. 

The  first  case  to  be  examined  is  the  cost  of  irrigating  a  farm  of 
150  acres  by  means  of  a  well  plant  and  by  taking  water  from  a  canal 
company.  In  many  sections  the  two  alternatives  are  offered,  while 
in  other  places  water  must  be  obtained  from  wells.  In  the  latter 
case  the  only  question  of  interest  is  whether  the  farmer  can  afford  to 
raise  rice  at  the  cost  of  installing  and  operating  a  well  plant.  As- 
sume an  8-barrel  crop  and  that  the  average  price  of  rice  is  $3  per 
barrel.  In  case  water  is  taken  from  a  canal  system,  the  charges  of 
the  canal  company  will  be  £  X  8  X  $3  =  $4.80  per  acre.  With  rice 
selling  at  $2.50  per  barrel  the  amount  paid  the  canal  company 
would  amount  to  J  X  8  X  $2.50  =  $4. 

When  the  farmer  raises  a  10-barrel  crop,  and  the  price  is  $3  per 
barrel,  the  cost  will  amount  to  $6,  while  if  the  price  of  rice  is  $2.50, 
the  10-barrel  crop  will  cost  $5  to  irrigate  from  a  canal. 

25844— No.  183—07  m 5 


66 


Now,  the  cost  of  irrigating  150  acres,  by  means  of  a  well  plant, 
was  computed  at  $5.92,  a  figure  nearly  as  great  as  the  cost  of  taking 

water  from  a  canal  when  a  10-barrel  crop,  selling  at  $3  per  barrel,  is 
assumed.  In  general,  it  may  be  said  that  S  barrels  is  nearer  the 
average  yield  than  is  10  barrels.  Wells  are  uncertain,  and  in  many 
cases  their  lives  are  short.  With  the  conditions  as  assumed,  the 
desirability  of  using  one  method  or  the  other  would  be  dependent  on 
the  yield,  the  price  of  rice,  and  the  amount  of  flood  water  needed. 
It  must  be  remembered  that  this  comparison  is  based  on  approxi- 
mately 2  acre-feet  of  water  to  be  supplied  per  acre.  During  a  season 
of  plentiful  rain  the  amount  of  water  pumped  would  be  considerably 
]<>«  than  this  amount:  in  this  case  the  well  plant  would  not  need  to 
be  operated  for  the  full  ninety  days,  and  therefore  the  Cost  of  irrigat- 
ing would  be  reduced,  while  if  water  is  taken  from  a  canal  the  cost  is 
independent  of  the  amount  used.  During  the  last  two  seasons  the 
rainfall  has  l>een  so  plentiful  that  the  amount  of  flood  water  re- 
quired has  been  much  less  than  for  the  average  season.  The  result 
has  been  that  the  farmers  having  good  well  plants  have  saved  money 
by  operating  their  own  plants.  The  conditions  assumed  in  the 
problem  must  be  clearly  kept  in  mind,  for  the  conclusions  apply  only 
for  these  assumptions.  The  method  is  applicable  to  any  set  of  condi- 
tions, and  each  separate  problem  may  be  solved  in  this  way. 

Next  the  canal  plants  to  irrigate  9,000  acres  will  be  considered.  In 
order  to  bring  the  results  together  so  that  comparisons  can  easily  be 
made,  the  following  table,  which  is  based  on  an  average  crop  of  S 
barrels  per  acre,  has  been  prepared  : 

Cost  and  profits  for  pumping  ivattr  for  rice  irrigation,  with  cm  an  rain  crop  of  8  ham  Is 

per  acre. 


Total  in- 
vestment. 

Fixed 
charges 
per  acre, 
including 

canal 
charges. 

Cost  of 
fuel  per 

acre. 

To^al 

cos    per 

aero. 

Rice  at  $2.50  per  barrel. 

Number  of 

plant. 

Amount 
received 
per  acre. 

Profit       Profit  on 
per  acre.   9.000  acres. 

Per  cent 

profit  on 

inves  - 

ment. 

2\ ...... .'..'.'. 

:i 

4 

5 

$124,000 
132,000 

124,000 

1127.400 

$2.10 
2.22 
2.10 
2.24 
3.50 

$0.25 

.21 

.45 

.78 

2.42 

$2.35 
2.43 
2.  55 
3.01 

5.92 

$4.00 
4.00 
4.00 

4.00 

$1.65 

1 .  57 
I .  45 
.99 

$14,850 
14, 120 
13,050 
8,910 

12.0 
10.7 
10..-, 

7.0 



Rice  at  $3  per  i  arrel. 

Number  of  planl . 

Amount 
n  reived 
per  acre. 

Profit  per 
acre. 

Profit  on 
9,000 
acres. 

Percent 
profit  on 

in  vest- 
ment . 

Minimum 

price  for 

rice,  to 

make 

plant  just 
pay  ex- 
penses. 

i                                     

$4.  80 
4.80 
4.80 
4.80 

$2.45 
2.37 
2. 25 
1.79 

$22,050 
21,330 
20,250 

16,  no 

17..S 
16.25 
L6.3 
12.6 

$1.47 

2 

3           

1 

1 .  52 
l .  59 

1 .  88 

From  the  above  discussion   it    is  evident    that   under  the  assumed 
conditions    Plant    No.    1    would    be    the    best    investment.      It    should 


67 

be  noted,  however,  that  Plants  Nos.  I  and  II  will  be  equally  good 
investments  when  fuel  oil  costs  about  $1.50  per  barrel,  as  the  cost 
of  irrigating  an  acre  with  either  Avill  be  $2.85.  With  fuel  oil  at  $1 
per  barrel  the  total  cost  per  acre  of  irrigating  with  Plant  Xo.  I 
will  be  $2.60,  while  with  Plant  No.  II  it  will  be  $2.64.  The  cost  of 
this  plant  is  $34,000  and  the  cost  of  the  right  of  way,  canals,  flumes, 
and  laterals  would  be  $90,000,  making  a  total  investment  of  $124,000 
for  Plants  Nos.  I  and  III,  $132,000  for  Plant  Xo.  II,  and  $127,400 
for  Plant  Xo.  IV.     Total  acreage  to  be  irrigated,  9,000. 

In  order  to  cover  conditions  too  wide  to  be  included  in  the  above 
discussion  without  hopeless  entanglement  in  details,  curves  have  been 
platted  showing,  besides  the  quantities  already  discussed,  the  fol- 
lowing varying  conditions  (figs.  3  and  4)  : 

(1)  Cost  of  fuel  oil  per  barrel : 

(2)  Inches  in  depth  of  Avater  supplied  to  irrigated  lands; 

(3)  Head  pumped  against; 

(4)  Type  of  plant :  and 

(5)  Acres  irrigated. 

The  first  three  of  these  variables  are  almost  entirely  beyond  our 
control.  We  may  select  by  means  of  this  diagram  the  type  of  plant 
most  suited  to  a  given  set  of  requirements.  The  plants  are  all  as- 
sumed to  be  equally  reliable  in  operation.  The  conditions  are  not 
wide  enough  to  cover  all  possible  cases;  for  instance,  the  head  pumped 
against  may  be  considerably  in  excess  of  20  feet.  There  are  plants 
in  Texas  which  lift  the  water  HO  feet  or  more.  The  cost  of  canals 
and  flumes  will  be  a  minimum  in  a  level  country  having  just  the 
desirable  slope  to  the  land  to  make  the  distribution  of  water  a  simple 
problem,  while  the  cost  will  be  a  maximum  where  the  country  is 
rolling  and  numerous  flumes  and  high  canal  embankments  are  re- 
quired. 

While  all  deductions  are  based  on  the  average  conditions  found  in 
the  plants  tested,  the  methods  can  be  applied  to  any  set  of  conditions. 

The  second  plat  shows  the  profits  and  losses  of  canal  companies 
under  the  following  varying  conditions : 

(1 )  The  market  price  of  rice  per  barrel ; 

(2)  Total  cost  of  irrigation  per  acre ;  and 

(3)  Yield  in  sacks  per  acre. 

The  first  of  the  above  variables  is  beyond  our  control.  The  other 
plat  shows  the  conditions  determining  the  cost  of  irrigating.  The 
yield  depends  on  (1)  the  climatic  conditions  of  the  season.  (2)  the 
quality  of  the  land,  (3)  the  energy  and  skill  of  the  farmer  cultivating 
the  rice  crop,  and  (4)  the  reliability  of  water  supply. 

In  this  plat  the  profit  or  loss  per  acre  is  shown  and,  assuming  a 
crop  of  9,000  acres  and  an  investment  of  $124,000  by  the  canal  com- 
pany, total  gain  or  loss  and  the  percentage  on  investment  have  been 
laid  off  on  separate  scales. 


68 

Briefly  summarizing,  it  is  evident  that  a  canal  company  can  not 
afford  to  have  any  but  economical  engines,  preferably  of  the  com- 
pound condensing  type.  The  pumps  may  be  high-grade  centrifugals 
or  rotary  pumps,  according  to  the  conditions  of  the  special  case. 

The  two  prime  requisites  of  any  plant  are  reliability  and  financial 
economy.     These  are  in  no  way  opposed  to  each  other,  but,  on  the 


400 


zoo 


200 


1.00 


zoo 


4.00 


600 


8.00 


fO.OO 


Fig.  3.     Diagram  showing  profits  and  losses  from  Plant  No.  I. 

contrary,  are  both  attributes  of  high-grade  machinery.  The  propor- 
tions must  be  Mich  thai  an  accident  to  a  portion  of  the  machinery  will 
not  paralyze  the  entire  plant.  There  should  be  at  least  two  units,  and 
the  figures  given  in  this  discussion  have  all  been  based  on  this  assump- 
tion. 


69 


Fig.  4.— Diagram  showing  cost  of  fuel  and  total  cost  of  irrigation  per  acre  under  varying  conditions. 


70 

DRAINAGE    PLANTS. 

It  is  estimated  that  nearly  one-half  of  the  area  of  Louisiana  is  of 
alluvial  formation,  having  been  deposited  in  recent  geological  ages 
by  the  great  river.  Like  all  alluvial  soil  it  is  of  great  fertility,  and 
the  semitropical  climate  makes  this  land,  when  properly  drained. 
very  productive.  Sugar  cane,  cotton,  and  rice  are  the  staple  crops. 
Along  the  Mississippi  the  elevation  of  the  land  is  sufficiently  great 
to  make  natural  drainage  practicable.  The  land  slopes  back  from 
the  river  to  the  swamps.  The  strip  of  land  on  both  sides  that  is 
drained  by  natural  slope  and  cultivated  varies  in  width  from  1  to  2 
miles.  In  many  places  the  strip  has  been  widened  by  artificial  drain- 
age, and  nearly  every  plantation  could  be  increased  in  area  by  one- 
third  in  this  way.  These  conditions  obtain  not  only  along  the  Mis- 
sissippi, but  also  along  many  of  its  tributaries  and  outlets. 

In  the  southern  part  of  the  State  are  vast  tracts  of  the  richest 
lands,  too  low  to  be  successfully  cultivated  without  the  aid  of  arti- 
ficial drainage  except  in  seasons  of  unusually  small  rainfall.  Colonies 
have  already  started  to  reclaim  this  land  in  some  sections  and 
numerous  projects  are  now  under  consideration  having  for  their 
object  the  reclamation  and  settlement  of  these  lands,  the  level  of 
which  is  nearly  the  same  as  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  The  general  plan 
is  to  build  a  protection  levee  around  a  tract  of  land  and  by  means  of 
open  ditches  to  drain  the  water  to  a  pumping  plant  where  it  is 
pumped  out  over  the  levee.  It  is  essential  that  the  levees  protecting 
reclaimed  land  be  of  sufficient  height  to  keep  out  the  backwater  due 
to  storms  on  the  Gulf.  A  strong  wind  from  the  south  often  raises 
the  water  level  several  feet  so  that  tracts  near  the  coast  require 
levees  of  considerable  size. 

The  problem  is  similar  to  that  of  reclaiming  the  1owt  lands  of  Hol- 
land, with  the  exception  that  in  Louisiana  the  lands  already  reclaimed 
and  those  to  receive  attention  in  the  near  future  are  relatively  much 
higher  than  some  of  the  lands  reclaimed  in  Holland.  The  reason 
is  obvious.  Lands  in  general  in  this  section  have  not  yet  advanced 
in  value  sufficiently  to  make  it  desirable  to  reclaim  any  but  the  highest 
and  most  favorably  located.  HowTever,  the  movement  is  well  started, 
and  the  next  few  years  will  witness  great  progress  along  these  lines. 
A  pumping  plant  to  remove  drainage  water  is  of  the  greatest  im- 
portance in  these  undertakings. 

Louisiana  produces  more  sugar  cane  than  any  other  State  in  the 
Union.  The  alluvial  lands  along  the  Mississippi  and  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  State  are  extensively  planted  to  sugar  cane,  and  nowhere 
is  drainage  of  greater  importance.  Rainfalls  of  from  5  to  7  inches  are 
not  at  all  uncommon,  and  such  a  downpour  flooding  the  fields  of  cane. 


71 

even  temporarily,  may  inflict  an  injury  on  the  soil  that  will  reduce  the 
yield,  even  if  the  cane  is  not  directly  injured.  Open  ditches  are  used 
and  the  drainage  pumped  over  the  levee  protecting  the  rear  of  the 
plantation  into  the  swamp.  , 

A  great  variety  of  pumps  are  used.  The  height  through  which  the 
water  has  to  be  elevated  is  small  and  the  volumes  large.  The  average 
lift  varies  from  3  or  less  to  10  feet,  but  is  usually  nearer  the  lower 
figure  than  the  higher.  Some  of  the  pumping  plants  are  extensive  in 
size  and  have  thoroughly  modern  machinery. 

The  prime  requisites  for  these  plants  are  (1)  reliability  and  (2) 
economy  of  operation. 

The  first  is  absolutely  essential ;  the  second  is  desirable,  but  under 
the  conditions  is  not  easy  of  attainment. 

The  pumping  plants  used  to  drain  plantations  are  operated  inter- 
mittently ;  when  a  rain  comes  steam  is  raised  and  the  pump  started. 
The  run  may  be  for  a  few  hours  or.  in  exceptional  cases,  for  several 
days,  depending  on  the  precipitation  and  consequent  run-off.  With 
the  low  lifts  these  pumps  are  not  expected  to  be  very  efficient.  Among 
the  types  used  for  drainage  may  be  mentioned  the  centrifugal,  rotary, 
and  centrifugal  with  a  wooden  casing,  the  Dutch  drainage  wheel,  and 
occasionally  a  wheel  with  blades  that  scoop  up  the  water  and  dis- 
charge it  near  the  shaft. 

The  centrifugal  pump  with  a  wooden  casing  is- particularly  suited 
to  elevating  large  volumes  of  water  through  small  heights.  The  only 
metal  parts  are  the  pulley,  shaft,  bearings,  and  impeller.  It  is 
cheaper  than  all-metal  pumps,  and  has  been  extensively  used  on 
sugar  plantations.  A  test  of  one  of  these  pumps  used  for  irrigating 
is  given  under  the  head  of  plant  No.  4.  It  is  believed  that  the 
efficiency  found  in  that  test  is  unusually  low  on  account  of  the 
inefficiency  of  the  rope  drive. 

Another  type  of  pump  that  has  long  been  justly  popular  for  drain- 
age work  is  the  Dutch  drainage  wheel.  It  is  probably  the  most  effi- 
cient pump  built  for  low  lifts,  and  is  capable  of  moving  large  vol- 
umes of  water.  A  test  of  one  of  these  wheels  i^  described  as  plant 
Xo.  1*2.  The  efficiency  for  lifts  of  less  than  3  feet  was  between  35 
and  50  per  cent.  This  form  of  drainage  wheel  is  successfully  used 
for  lifts  up  to  one-fourth  of  the  diameter  of  the  wheel.  The  diam- 
eter usually  ranges  from  25  to  30  feet. 

As  these  plants  are  operated  at  very  irregular  intervals,  it  is  not 
necessary  that  the  boilers  and  engines  be  of  the  highest  grade,  as  it 
would  be  impossible  to  get  a  high  efficiency  even  from  the  best  and 
most  economical  outfit  under  the  circumstances.  The  machinery 
for  such  plants  must  be  good  and  reliable,  and  not  at  all  complicated, 
so  that  it  mav  be  safelv  intrusted  to  men  who  are  not  skilled  engi- 
neers.  as  only  on  a   few  of  the  largest  plantations  is  the  drainage 


72 

plant   of  sufficient   size  to  claim  the  attention  of  a   high-grade  man 
continuously. 

Plant  No.  11  (  p.  4:5)  i-  used  exclusively  for  drainage  in  Algiers,  a 
suburb  of  New  Orleans.  The  triple-expansiou  engine  of  that  plant 
is  an  example  of  an  unnecessarily  expensive  engine  being  used  where 
the  condition-  forbid  economy.  It  was  moved  from  another  pump- 
ing station.  Had  a  new  engine  been  installed  it  would  probably 
have  been  a  compound. 


LIST  OF  PUBLICATIONS  OF  THE  OFFICE  OF  EXPERIMENT  STATIONS  ON 
IRRIGATION  AND  DRAINAGE-Continued. 

Bui.  140.  Acquirement  of  Water  Rights  in  the  Arkansas  Valley.  Colorado.     By 

J.  S.  Greene.    Pp.  83. 
Bui.  144.  Irrigation  in  Northern  Italy— Part  I.     By  Elwood  Mead.     Pp.  100. 
Bui.  145.  Preparing  Land  for  Irrigation  and  Methods  of  Applying  Water.     Pre- 
pared under  the  direction  of  Ehvood  Mead,  chief.    Pp.  84. 
Bui.  146.  Current   Wheels :     Their   Use   in   Lifting  Water   for   Irrigation.      By 

Albert  Eugene  Wright.    Pp.  38. 
Bui.  147.  Report  on  Drainage  Investigations.  1903.     By  C.  G.  Elliott.    Pp.  62. 
*Bul.  148.  Report  on  Irrigation  Investigations  in  Humid  Sections  of  the  United 

States  in  1903.     Pp.  45. 
::Bul.  157.  Water  Rights  on  Interstate   Streams.     By   R.   P,  Teele  and  Ehvood 

Mead.    Pp.118.     (Separates  only.) 
Bui.  158.  Report  on   Irrigation  and  drainage  Investigations.   1904.     Under  the 

direction  of  Elwood  Mead,  chief.     Pp.  755.     (Separates  only.) 
Bui.  167.  Irrigation  in  the  North  Atlantic  States.     By  Aug.  J.  Bowie,  jr.    Pp.  50. 
Bui.  168.  The  State  Engineer  and  His  Relation  to  Irrigation.     By  R.  P.  Teele. 

Pp.  99. 
Bui.  172.  Irrigation  in  Montana.     By  Samuel  Fortier.  assisted  by  A.  1'.  Stover 

and  J.  S.  Baker.    Pp.  108. 
Bui.  177.  Evaporation  Losses  in  Irrigation  and  Water  Requirements  of  Crops. 

By  Samuel  Fortier.     Pp.  t'»4. 
Bui.   17!>.   Small    Reservoirs    in    Wyoming.    Montana,    and    South    Dakota.     By 

F.  C.  Herrmann.     Pp.  100. 
Bui.   181.  Mechanical   Tests   of   Pumping   Plants    in    California.     By   .T.    X.    Le 

Conte.     In  press. 

farmers'  kflletins. 

Bui.    46.  Irrigation  in  Humid  Climates.     By  F.  II.  King.     Pp.  27. 

Bui.  116.  Irrigation  in  Fruit  Growing.     By  E.  J.  Wiokson.     Pp.  48. 

Bui.  138.  Irrigation  in  Field  and  Garden.     By  E.  J.  Wickson.     Pp.  40. 

Bui.  158.  How    to    Build    Small    Irrigation    Ditches.     By    C.    T.    Johnston    and 
J.  D.  Stannard.     Pp.  2& 

Bui.  187.  Drainage  of  Farm  Lands.     By  C.  G.  Elliott.     Pp.  40. 

Bill.  263.  Practical  Information  for  Beginners  in  Irrigation.     By  Samuel   For- 
tier.    Pp.  40. 

Bui.  277.  Use  of  Alcohol  and  Gasoline  in  Farm  Engines.     By  C.  E.  Lueke  and    [ 
S.  M.  Woodward.     Pp.  40. 

CIRCULARS. 

♦Circ.48.  What   the   Department   of    Agriculture    is    Doing   for    Irrigation.     By 
Elwood  Mead.     Pp.  4. 

♦Circ.50.   Preliminary   Plans   and    Estimates   for   Drainage   of   Fresno    District. 
California.     By  C.  G.  Elliott.     Pp.  9. 

*Circ.  57.   Supplemental  Report  on  Drainage  in  the  Fresno  District.  California. 
Pp.  5. 

*Circ.  58.  Irrigation  jn   the   Valley   of   Lost    River.    Idaho.     By    Albert    Eugene 
Wright.     Pp.  24. 

*Circ.  59.  Progress    Report    of    Cooperative    Irrigation    investigations    in    Cali- 
fornia.    By  S.  Fortier.     Pp.  23. 

*Circ.  •',.•',.  Work  of  the  Office  of  Experiment  Stations  in  Irrigation  and  Drain- 
age.    Pp.  31. 
Cir<>.  65.  Irrigation  from  Upper  Snake  River.   Idaho.     By  H.  G.  Raschbaeher. 

Pp.  16. 
Circ.  67.   Investigations  of    Irrigation    Practice   in   Oregon.     By    A.    P.    Stover. 
Pp.  30. 


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